World production and consumption of tree nuts

World production of tree nuts is scattered from the tropics to the Himalaya Mountains and statistics are very scant. Published data refer to nuts for sale and do not include those used in home or in small processing units. Among the nuts that are frequently harvested from native trees and used for specific purposes, but seldom appear in statistics are chinquapins, butternuts, Brazil nuts, heart nuts, hickory nuts, beech nuts, apricot nuts and corozo nuts. 

According to Agricultural Statistics (1991) during the years from 1980 to 1990 the United States imported 1883 metric tons of shelled almonds and 27321 metric tons of shelled hazelnuts at the same time 1025513 metric tons of shelled almonds and 21669 metric tons of shelled hazelnuts were exported. 

During the same 10-year period, there was an average annual export of all edible nuts from the United States of 349596.9 metric tons with a corresponding import of 140370.7 metric tons. The average annual consumption of all nuts in the United States was 548359.1 metric tons. The average annual per capita consumption was 2.2741b. 

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