Turkeys are closer than you think!

The tradition of Thanksgiving dates back to the early 1600’s and is most notably remembered for 1621 when early Plymouth Colony settlers hosted a three-day feast. On Oct. 3^rd 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving, later clarified by President Franklin Roosevelt to be the fourth Thursday of the month. Today we still celebrate Thanksgiving as a time with family and friends, giving thanks for all that we have. This celebration is typically done sitting around a table with that perfectly roasted, deep fried or however-you-make-it turkey.

One of the most iconic symbols of Thanksgiving is the turkey, and it got me thinking about our trade data. What does it show about these symbols of Thanksgiving? Much to my surprise, for the last several years we have only imported turkeys from one place – Canada. It all makes sense when you think about it, turkeys can typically only fly about 100 yards at a time so they can’t come from too far away! That was supposed to be funny.

Let’s take a look at turkey imports as classified in Schedule B 020724 and 020725; Turkeys, Not Cut in Pieces, Fresh or Chilled and Turkeys, Not Cut in Pieces, Frozen. We will look at 2009-2013 and 2014 thru September Import data showing the world value and the total value from Canada. If you are familiar with our USATrade Online Data, you should recognize the format below! If not, feel free to jump on USA Trade Online, where first time users get 1 week free, and start exploring your interest in trade data!

Happy Thanksgiving!