Limes Prices in the United States from 2020 to 2025

Key Points

• Research suggests lime retail prices in the US varied from 2020 to 2022, with limited data for 2023-2025.

• In October 2020, prices were about $0.27 per lime and $0.54 per pound.

• In March 2021 and 2022, prices were $42.16 and $74.40 per 40-pound package, respectively.

• Data for 2023-2025 is incomplete, with no specific retail prices found.

Price Overview

Lime retail prices in the United States from 2020 to 2022 show fluctuations, with prices increasing over time based on available data. For 2023 to 2025, information is scarce, and no specific retail prices were found, suggesting potential gaps in public data.

• 2020: In October, the weighted average retail price was $0.27 per lime and $0.54 per pound, reflecting lower prices during that period.

• 2021: In March, the price was $42.16 per 40-pound package, indicating a significant jump, possibly due to supply chain issues.

• 2022: In March, the price rose to $74.40 per 40-pound package, showing continued upward pressure.

• 2023-2025: No specific retail prices were found, with data limited to current reports from 2023 onward, which did not include limes in visible sections.

An unexpected detail is the variation in price units, with some data in per-lime or per-pound terms and others in per-40-pound packages, highlighting the complexity of comparing retail prices across different measurements.

Historical Price Trends (2020–2022)

The pricing data for lime retail prices from 2020 to 2022 is derived from multiple sources, including archived USDA National Retail Reports for Specialty Crops and market insights from industry reports. These sources provide a mix of per-unit and package-based pricing, reflecting retail advertised prices at major supermarket outlets.

• 2020: The archived USDA National Retail Report for October 19, 2020, shows the weighted average retail price for limes was $0.27 per each and $0.54 per pound, based on surveys of over 400 retailers comprising over 30,300 stores, with ad pricing good from October 10 to October 22, 2020. This data indicates lower prices, possibly due to high supply volumes, as noted in market reports from FreshFruitPortal.com, which mentioned June 2020 prices being 27% lower than 2019 at US$0.48 per kilogram.

• 2021: Specific data for 2021 is limited to March, where ProducePay reported the price of conventional Persian limes from Mexico via Texas at $42.16 per 40-pound package. This jump from 2020 prices suggests potential supply chain disruptions or increased demand, aligning with reports of inconsistent Mexican lime volumes during the spring.

• 2022: In March 2022, ProducePay reported the price at $74.40 per 40-pound package, nearly doubling the 2021 price, indicating significant upward pressure, possibly due to weather-related supply issues in Mexico, as noted in various market analyses. This trend continued, with reports of high prices in early 2022, reflecting challenges in the Mexican supply chain.

Current Estimates for 2023–2025

For 2023 to 2025, the data is necessarily incomplete, as the years are ongoing, and full-year USDA reports are not yet available as of March 21, 2025. Efforts to find retail prices through USDA Market News and ERS data were unsuccessful for these years, with the most recent visible data from September 2023 not including limes in the reported commodities.

• 2023: No specific retail prices were found, with USDA Market News retail reports limited to within 2 years, starting from September 2023, and not including limes in the visible sections. Market reports like ProducePay mention stable prices from June to December due to consistent supply, but no exact figures were provided.

• 2024: Similarly, no specific retail prices were found. Tridge and other sources mentioned wholesale price increases, such as a 16% rise in January 2024, but these are import or shipping point prices, not retail. The USDA ERS data does not extend to 2024 for retail prices.

• 2025: As of March 21, 2025, no specific retail prices were found. Market reports and projections, such as from Mordor Intelligence, estimate market size growth to USD 2.51 billion in 2025, but do not provide retail price data. IndexBox mentions forecasts for 2025 in paid reports, costing $499, which were not accessible.

Contextual Factors

Several factors may influence these price trends. Limes are primarily imported, with Mexico supplying over 92.6% in 2022, down from 97.5% in 2020, and Colombia increasing its share, as noted in ProducePay reports. Weather conditions, such as droughts and heatwaves in Mexico, have impacted supply, leading to price volatility, especially in early months. Retail demand has surged, with year-over-year growth exceeding 40% in 2024, as per Mexican Business News, but this is not reflected in specific retail price data for 2023-2025.

An unexpected detail is the variation in price units, with some data in per-lime or per-pound terms and others in per-40-pound packages, highlighting the complexity of comparing retail prices across different measurements. This variation makes it challenging to track consistent trends, especially given the lack of data for recent years.

Table of Detailed Price Data by Year and Unit

To provide further granularity, below is a table of available retail prices for limes, noting the units and sources:

Conclusion

In summary, research suggests lime retail prices in the US from 2020 to 2022 varied, with prices increasing from $0.27 per lime in October 2020 to $74.40 per 40-pound package in March 2022. For 2023 to 2025, no specific retail prices were found, with data limited to current reports from 2023 onward, which did not include limes. The variation in price units and lack of recent data highlight the challenges in tracking retail prices, with an unexpected detail being the mix of per-unit and package-based pricing, complicating comparisons.