The USA is by far the largest exporter of pecan nuts in the world. The pecan is native to the North American continent and grows mainly in the southern region of the US and the northern region of Mexico. While the US is a large producer it may not be the largest. Mexico has been planting pecans at an increased rate just as the US pecan farmers have, but the production is not coming fast enough. The US continues to purchase more and more of the Mexican pecans to market around the globe. US pecan growers continue to plant pecans as well but with a lead time of around 6-8 years before production, the demand continues to outpace the supply leaving US companies turning to Mexico to fill the ever-growing demand for pecans. For the last 4 years the US has purchased more pecans from Mexico than it had in the previous years and 2018 is currently on track to outpace 2017. So far for the months of January thru March imports of shelled pecans are up 7% from the same time last year.