European Greenhouse Industry: Growing Practices and Competitiveness in U.S. Markets
D.J. Cantliffe and J.J .VanSickle

Imports of fresh tomatoes into the U.S. declined in 1999 in large part because of declines in imports from Mexico. Imports from other regions of the world increased, however, with imports from European countries almost double what they were in 1996. Most of these tomatoes are produced in greenhouses and increasing returns through the 1997/98 season led to increases in production. Productivity in European greenhouse is nearly 3 fold that in Florida field production. Competitive cost structures in greenhouse production have allowed those producers to increase their presence in U.S. markets.