In 2016 the investment made to purchase melons achieved a historical 1,674.89 million euro, according to data from COMTRADE, the Statistics Division of the United Nations Organization (UN), using the code 080719 (fresh melon) of the Integrated Tariff of the European Communities - TARIC (Tariff Integrated of the European Communities).
The United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany, accounted for more than 60 percent of the total amount invested that year in melon imports worldwide.
Even though some countries make their payments mainly in dollars, for a better comparison we have unified all payments in euros.
The United States of America was the country that spent the most money to buy that fruit, as they invested 428.77 million euro to purchase 474.22 million kilos of melons in 2016 (at an average price of 0.904 euro per kilo).
The US purchased most of the melon from Guatemala, as purchases to that country amounted to 226.32 million euro. Guatemala was followed by Honduras with 96.96 million, and Mexico with 74.4 million euro.
Meanwhile, in 2016 France paid 163,92 million euro for 172,17 million kilograms of melon, at an average price of 0.95 euro per kilo.
France paid 103.23 million euro to Spain, 44.47 euro to Morocco and 3.69 million euro to Senegal.
The United Kingdom ranked third, as it paid 153,54 million euro for 169,49 million kilos, i.e. at an average price of 0,906 euro per kilo.
The UK's biggest suppliers were Brazil with 50.25 million euro, Spain with 34.04 million, and Honduras with 16.42 million euro.
The Netherlands ranked fourth after having allocated 151,64 million euro to import 198,2 million kilos of melons, at an average price of 0.765 euro per kilo.
Its biggest suppliers were Brazil with 52.83 million euro, Spain with 26.57 million, and Honduras with 19.94 million euro.
Germany, which purchased 121.03 million kilos of melons for 118.75 million euro, at the average price of 0.981 euros per kilo, ranked fifth.
Germany paid Spain 68.7 million euro, Brazil 20.13 million, and Italy 9.74 million euro.
Source: hortoinfo.es