What box is used to export Persian limes to the United States?

A ventilated corrugated carton of 40 lb nominal net weight (about 18 kg; 38 to 40 lb in practice), sold by count: 110, 130, 150, 175, 200, 230 or 250 limes per carton. Counts 110 to 175 go to retail and terminal markets, 200 to 250 to wholesalers and industry. It is a one-piece tray with reinforced corners or a telescoping two-piece box, double-wall at the columns, 4 to 6 % vent area on all four sides, no wax, printed in 2 to 4 flexo colours with brand, origin, count, weight, lot and packer code.

What does the count on a lime box mean?

The number of uniform limes that fill a standard 38 to 40 lb carton. Count 110 is a large fruit of about 165 g; count 250 is a small fruit of about 72 g. Orchard average is 80 to 120 g and 5 to 7 cm in diameter. Europe buys counts 200 to 300 or 4 to 4.5 kg boxes; Japan buys 10 lb boxes in counts 32 to 54. The carton has to accept the whole count range of a season without fruit rattling or being crushed, which is why the 40 lb box is usually made in two heights.

How many 40 lb lime cartons fit on a pallet and in a 40 ft reefer?

On a 48 × 40 in pallet, 5 or 6 cartons per layer and 12 layers: 60 to 72 cartons, 1,090 to 1,310 kg net. A 40 ft high-cube reefer takes 20 pallets, 1,200 to 1,440 cartons and 21.8 to 26 t net, and it is weight, not volume, that sets the limit. Most Mexican limes cross by reefer truck into Texas, where a trailer is normally loaded with 24 pallets of 60 cartons, 1,440 cartons. Confirm the payload and the destination axle limits before you commit to 12 layers; some routes drop one or two layers.

At what temperature are Persian limes stored and shipped?

8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F) at 85 to 90 % relative humidity, for a shelf life of 3 to 5 weeks. Below 7 to 8 °C the peel suffers chilling injury; warmer than 10 °C the fruit turns yellow. The carton may spend up to 35 days in that humid air with 10 to 12 layers of 18 kg on top, so the number to specify is compression strength measured after 24 hours at 90 % humidity, not the dry value, with vents aligned from layer to layer and no wax.

Should limes be harvested in PP corrugated plastic crates?

Yes, where the crate returns to the orchard. A foldable 600 × 400 × 250 to 300 mm crate in 4 to 5 mm PP corrugated plastic carries 15 to 20 kg, does not absorb juice or dew, can be washed and disinfected, folds to a quarter of its volume for the return truck and lasts 40 to 80 trips. It beats burlap sacks on peel damage and rigid injection crates on return-freight volume and price. The same crate also serves avocado and mango in Michoacán and Veracruz, so a mixed packhouse can run it over two seasons. For the one-way export leg the corrugated carton stays the standard.

When should a lime packer order cartons for the season?

Count back 10 to 12 weeks from the first strong shipment: 1 to 2 weeks for artwork and samples, 3 to 4 weeks of production, 30 to 35 days by sea to Veracruz, Altamira or Manzanillo and about one week to dispatch. For the August to October volume peak, close the order in May or June. For the February to April price window, when the Texas 40 lb box has reached about 70 % above the prior year, close it in November or December. Cartons, PP crates and retail nets can share one container.

Persian Lime Export Boxes: the 40 lb Carton by Count, the 10 lb and 4.5 kg Formats, Cartons per Pallet and per Reefer, PP Harvest Crates and When to Order

Fuxing Development Group · Updated October 19, 2026 · For Mexican lime packers in Veracruz, Michoacán, Oaxaca and Colima, U.S. and Canadian importers and repackers, and buyers in Europe and Japan · Versión en español

Quick answer: The U.S. standard is a ventilated 40 lb corrugated carton (about 18 kg) sold by count: 110, 130, 150, 175, 200, 230 or 250 limes. Counts 110 to 175 go to retail and terminal markets, 200 to 250 to wholesalers and industry. Japan takes a 10 lb box in counts 32 to 54; Europe takes the 40 lb box in counts 200 to 300 or a 4 to 4.5 kg box. A 48 × 40 in pallet carries 60 to 72 cartons; a 40 ft reefer carries 1,200 to 1,440 cartons, 21.8 to 26 t, and it is weight that fills it first. Fruit moves from orchard to packhouse in 4 to 5 mm PP corrugated plastic crates that replace burlap sacks and rigid crates. Mexico exported 716,000 t of limes worth US$838 million in 2023 and supplies more than 90 % of the Persian limes the United States imports. Volume peaks August to October; prices peak February to April. Order cartons, crates and nets 10 to 12 weeks before each window. The supplier data checklist is at the end of this page.

Why the lime carton is being re-specified for 2026/27

Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) is Mexico's largest citrus export and the single largest fresh lime trade in the world, and it moves almost entirely in one package, the 40 lb ventilated carton. Four things on the buyer's desk this season touch that carton directly.

Fact	Figure	What it means for the carton	Source
Mexican lime exports	716,000 t worth US$838 million in 2023 (+2.7 % volume, +10.6 % value); US$759 million in 2024, of which US$729 million went to the United States; 317,236 t in the first half of 2024	Roughly 40 million 40 lb carton-equivalents a year cross one border through a handful of Texas crossings; carton supply is programmed by the season, not bought spot	SIAP / SADER, Secretaría de Economía trade data, as compiled on our Spanish lime page
U.S. import share	Mexico supplied 92.6 % of U.S. lime imports in 2022 (622,479 t); Colombia rose from 1.8 % to 5.2 % between 2020 and 2022; in January 2025 USDA counted 146.6 million lb imported, 121.5 million from Mexico and 19.5 million from Colombia	U.S. receivers want one carton footprint whatever the origin; Colombian and Peruvian packers copy the Mexican 40 lb spec	ProducePay, September 2023; Fresh Fruit Portal, March 2025 (USDA data)
Price swing	The 40 lb conventional carton via Texas reached US$74.40 in March 2022 against US$42.16 a year earlier; about US$38 a box in early 2025; prices peak February to April and ease from mid-year with the Mexican harvest	In the price window the carton is a small share of a US$40 to 70 box; in the volume peak it is a visible cost. Two carton heights and a count-flexible design avoid repacking	USDA Market News as cited by ProducePay and Fresh Fruit Portal
2024 drought	Smaller, thinner-peeled, lighter-green fruit with shorter shelf life; first-half 2024 export value fell 6.25 % while volume rose; count range shifted toward 200 to 250	More fruit per carton, same weight: the inner height and the vent pattern of the small-count carton get more use than the drawing assumed	Mexican trade press, 2024, as compiled on our Spanish lime page

The carton-equivalent above is simple arithmetic at 18.1 kg per carton and ignores the 10 lb and 4.5 kg formats; read it as an order of magnitude. This page is packaging guidance, not customs or market advice.

Box formats by destination

Sizes below are taken from Mexican exporter pack specifications and U.S. trade practice. They are the reference your carton has to match; the exact die line comes from your customer's specification sheet.

Format	Net weight	Sold by	Main destination	Pallet and notes
Ventilated 40 lb carton	18.1 kg nominal (38 to 40 lb in practice)	Count: 110, 130, 150, 175, 200, 230, 250	United States, Canada	48 × 40 in pallet, 5 or 6 per layer, 12 layers; one-piece tray or telescoping lid; 4 to 6 % vent area on all four sides; no wax
40 lb carton with retail nets inside	18 kg in 16 to 20 × 1 lb nets or 8 to 9 × 2 lb nets	Count and net count	U.S. and Canadian retail	Same carton; net design agreed with the importer; vents aligned with the net layer
10 lb box	4.5 kg	Count: 32 to 36, 40 to 48, 52 to 54	Japan, South Korea	1.0 × 1.2 m or 1.1 × 1.1 m pallet; single-layer tray; up to 6-colour print
4 to 4.5 kg box	4.0 to 4.5 kg	Count; loose or 500 g nets	Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, France	1.0 × 1.2 m pallet, 8 per layer; usually unwaxed, FSC, label on every box
40 lb European count	18 kg	Count 200 to 300	European wholesalers, juice, foodservice	Same carton as the U.S. box; 1.0 × 1.2 m pallet, 6 per layer
Burlap mesh sack	20 to 25 kg	Bulk, no strict count	Domestic market, Central America	Highest ventilation and lowest cost; abrades the peel; cannot be palletised cleanly; not for ocean export

Count 110 is a fruit of about 165 g; count 250 is about 72 g. Orchard average is 80 to 120 g and 5 to 7 cm. The United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom take 98.7 % of Mexican lime export value.

What to specify in the corrugated lime carton

Limes are stored and shipped at 8 to 10 °C and 85 to 90 % relative humidity, for 3 to 5 weeks of shelf life. Below 7 to 8 °C the peel suffers chilling injury; warmer than 10 °C the fruit yellows. A carton may spend up to 35 days in that air with 10 to 12 layers of 18 kg on top of it. The figure to compare suppliers on is therefore compression strength after 24 hours of humid conditioning, not the dry value on the quotation.

Carton	Style and board	Vents	Pallet pattern	Print and compliance
40 lb, United States and Canada	One-piece tray with reinforced double-column corners, or telescoping two-piece; double-wall BC or heavy single-wall C; high-performance moisture-resistant kraft, no wax, smooth interior; made in two heights (large and small counts)	4 to 6 % open area on all four sides, aligned from layer to layer	5 or 6 per layer, 12 layers, 60 to 72 cartons, 1,090 to 1,310 kg net	2 to 4 flexo colours: brand, origin, count, net weight, lot and packer code; a smooth panel for the PLU and traceability label
10 lb, Japan	Single-layer tray, B or C flute, kraft or white top for brand printing	3 to 5 %	8 to 10 per layer, 20 to 25 layers	Up to 6 colours; Japanese-language label area
4 to 4.5 kg, Europe	Open one-piece tray, B flute, FSC usually required	3 to 5 %, aligned with the inner nets	8 per layer, 25 to 30 layers, 200 to 240 boxes	2 to 4 colours; per-box label with lot, GGN and packer code

Lot and orchard codes link the carton to the packer registry and the SENASICA phytosanitary certificate; U.S. border inspection needs a carton that can be sampled without destroying it. For papers, flutes and humid compression testing see our banana carton guide and the wet-lock box testing guide; the same wet-strength logic applies to a lime carton.

Where the carton fails and where PP corrugated plastic takes over

The export carton is a one-way package and should stay one. The places where corrugated board is wasted are the loops that come back: the orchard-to-packhouse leg, the wash-and-wax line and the staging area where fruit waits for sizing. Those legs are wet, repeated and local, and that is where packers switch to plastic.

Option	Capacity and size	Advantages	Limits	Relative cost per trip
Burlap mesh sack	20 to 25 kg	Cheap, ventilated, light	Abrades the peel; no protection from sun or truck pressure; cannot be palletised	Low per sack; high in second-grade fruit
Rigid injection-moulded crate	20 to 25 kg; about 530 × 360 × 300 mm	Strong, stackable, washable	Does not fold, so the return truck carries air; expensive; cracks in 3 to 4 seasons of juice and sun	Low if it survives 5 seasons; high in return freight
Single-use harvest carton	10 to 15 kg	No return and no washing	A new box every trip; softens with dew and juice; unsuitable for wet pre-cooling	Highest for programmes with 3 or more trips a week
Foldable PP corrugated plastic crate	15 to 20 kg; 600 × 400 × 250 to 300 mm; 4 to 5 mm sheet	Washable and disinfectable; absorbs no juice or moisture; folds to a quarter of its volume; printable with orchard and lot; smooth surface	Must come back; needs crate control between orchard and packhouse	Pays back in 40 to 80 trips; after that only the washing cost

The 600 × 400 mm footprint is the same one used for avocado and mango in Michoacán and Veracruz, so a mixed packhouse can amortise one crate fleet over two seasons. Sheet grades are in the corrugated plastic thickness guide, the per-trip arithmetic in PP box vs cardboard: real cost per trip, and how to describe a crate in a request for quotation in the PP produce box specification template. For U.S. buyers of PP corrugated plastic boxes made in the Philippines, the duty position is: 0% U.S. AD/CVD — not 0% import duty; 12.5% Section 301 (since Jul 24, 2026) + normal HTSUS duty, confirm with your broker.

Cartons per pallet and per container

Weight limits the reefer before volume does. Most Persian limes cross to the United States by reefer truck into Texas, where a trailer is normally loaded with 1,440 cartons. Ocean freight to Europe, Asia and the U.S. East Coast is limited by container payload and by road weight at destination.

Carton	Pallet	Cartons per pallet	Net weight per pallet	Cartons per 40 ft HC reefer (20 pallets)	Net per container
40 lb (18.1 kg)	48 × 40 in, 5 or 6 per layer, 12 layers	60 to 72	1,090 to 1,310 kg	1,200 to 1,440	21.8 to 26 t (weight-limited)
10 lb (4.5 kg)	1.0 × 1.2 m or 1.1 × 1.1 m, 8 to 10 per layer	160 to 250	720 to 1,130 kg	3,200 to 5,000	14.4 to 22.5 t
4 to 4.5 kg	1.0 × 1.2 m, 8 per layer, 25 to 30 layers	200 to 240	800 to 1,080 kg	4,000 to 4,800	16 to 21.6 t
40 lb, Texas reefer trailer	48 × 40 in, 24 pallets	60	1,090 kg	1,440 per trailer	about 26 t

Guideline figures. Actual reefer payload and destination axle limits may require dropping one or two layers; confirm with the carrier before printing the pallet pattern on the carton.

Season calendar and when to order

Lead time for packaging imported by sea: 1 to 2 weeks for artwork and samples, 3 to 4 weeks at the factory, 30 to 35 days by sea to Veracruz, Altamira or Manzanillo, and about one week to dispatch to the packhouse. As a working rule, close specification and artwork 10 to 12 weeks before the first strong shipment and ask for the schedule in writing with the quotation.

Window	First strong shipment	Close the order by	What to buy
Volume peak, August to October	August	May to June	40 lb carton in two heights, PP harvest crates, burlap or 10 kg domestic box
Price window, February to April	February	November to December	40 lb carton with 1 lb and 2 lb nets; 10 lb box for Japan; 4 to 4.5 kg box for Europe
Summer replenishment (rain-fed fruit)	June	March to April	40 lb replenishment; crates
December to February, domestic peak	December	September to October (now)	Burlap, 10 kg domestic box, retail nets for Mexican supermarkets

If the order is late there are two ways out: unprinted cartons with standard crates (2 to 3 weeks at the factory), or one consolidated container of cartons, PP crates and retail nets so that one booking covers the whole packhouse. For the 2026/27 price window the November order date is still open as this page is published.

What a supplier needs to quote lime cartons, crates and nets

Item	Tell the supplier	Why it matters
40 lb carton	Flute and number of walls; liner and medium basis weights; compression after 24 h at 90 % RH; vent percentage and position; inside height for each count range; inside and outside dimensions; stacking pattern; print; FSC	Defines the board and the die; lets you compare quotations on the same test
Retail net or bag	Material; thread gauge or film microns; size (1 lb, 2 lb, 500 g); colour; print; limes per net; barcode	The net sets the inner layout of the carton and the vent alignment
PP harvest crate	Sheet thickness in mm; sheet weight per m²; static and dynamic load; ventilation; washing and disinfection method; crates folded per container	Load and sheet weight decide whether the crate survives 40 to 80 trips
Programme	Quantity per season and in the peak week; first shipment date; destination port or packhouse and Incoterm	Schedules production and the sea freight; freight is quoted on flat volume
Supplier	ISO 9001 and 14001; FSC; SGS verification; physical samples before the order; minimum order quantity; real lead time factory plus transit; Spanish-speaking technical contact; cartons, crates and nets in one container	The checks in our produce packaging supplier checklist

Lime cartons, PP corrugated plastic harvest crates and retail nets, from one supplier

Fuxing Group manufactures FSC corrugated cartons, foldable PP corrugated plastic crates in 2 to 10 mm sheet and fruit nets and bags in China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with ISO 9001 and SGS verification, and works with fresh-fruit exporters in Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia. Send the checklist above and your customer's carton drawing; we reply in English or Spanish within 12 hours with a drawing, a sample and a quotation, with basis weights, humid compression and static load in writing, and we consolidate cartons, crates and nets to Veracruz, Altamira or Manzanillo.

Quote on WhatsApp Email jacky@fuxinggroup.cn

Or use the contact form →

Frequently asked questions

What box is used to export Persian limes to the United States?: A ventilated corrugated carton of 40 lb nominal net weight (about 18 kg; 38 to 40 lb in practice), sold by count: 110, 130, 150, 175, 200, 230 or 250 limes per carton. Counts 110 to 175 go to retail and terminal markets, 200 to 250 to wholesalers and industry. It is a one-piece tray with reinforced corners or a telescoping two-piece box, double-wall at the columns, 4 to 6 % vent area on all four sides, no wax, printed in 2 to 4 flexo colours with brand, origin, count, weight, lot and packer code.
What does the count on a lime box mean?: The number of uniform limes that fill a standard 38 to 40 lb carton. Count 110 is a large fruit of about 165 g; count 250 is a small fruit of about 72 g. Orchard average is 80 to 120 g and 5 to 7 cm in diameter. Europe buys counts 200 to 300 or 4 to 4.5 kg boxes; Japan buys 10 lb boxes in counts 32 to 54. The carton has to accept the whole count range of a season without fruit rattling or being crushed, which is why the 40 lb box is usually made in two heights.
How many 40 lb lime cartons fit on a pallet and in a 40 ft reefer?: On a 48 × 40 in pallet, 5 or 6 cartons per layer and 12 layers: 60 to 72 cartons, 1,090 to 1,310 kg net. A 40 ft high-cube reefer takes 20 pallets, 1,200 to 1,440 cartons and 21.8 to 26 t net, and it is weight, not volume, that sets the limit. Most Mexican limes cross by reefer truck into Texas, where a trailer is normally loaded with 24 pallets of 60 cartons, 1,440 cartons. Confirm the payload and the destination axle limits before you commit to 12 layers; some routes drop one or two layers.
At what temperature are Persian limes stored and shipped?: 8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F) at 85 to 90 % relative humidity, for a shelf life of 3 to 5 weeks. Below 7 to 8 °C the peel suffers chilling injury; warmer than 10 °C the fruit turns yellow. The carton may spend up to 35 days in that humid air with 10 to 12 layers of 18 kg on top, so the number to specify is compression strength measured after 24 hours at 90 % humidity, not the dry value, with vents aligned from layer to layer and no wax.
Should limes be harvested in PP corrugated plastic crates?: Yes, where the crate returns to the orchard. A foldable 600 × 400 × 250 to 300 mm crate in 4 to 5 mm PP corrugated plastic carries 15 to 20 kg, does not absorb juice or dew, can be washed and disinfected, folds to a quarter of its volume for the return truck and lasts 40 to 80 trips. It beats burlap sacks on peel damage and rigid injection crates on return-freight volume and price. The same crate also serves avocado and mango in Michoacán and Veracruz, so a mixed packhouse can run it over two seasons. For the one-way export leg the corrugated carton stays the standard.
When should a lime packer order cartons for the season?: Count back 10 to 12 weeks from the first strong shipment: 1 to 2 weeks for artwork and samples, 3 to 4 weeks of production, 30 to 35 days by sea to Veracruz, Altamira or Manzanillo and about one week to dispatch. For the August to October volume peak, close the order in May or June. For the February to April price window, when the Texas 40 lb box has reached about 70 % above the prior year, close it in November or December. Cartons, PP crates and retail nets can share one container.

Sources

SIAP / SADER (Mexican agricultural statistics) and Secretaría de Economía trade data: national production, state shares, export volume and value 2023 and 2024, as compiled on our Spanish page Empaque para limón persa de exportación.
ProducePay, Lime market insights for the United States and Latin America, September 2023 (Mexico 92.6 % of U.S. lime imports in 2022, 622,479 t; Colombia 1.8 % to 5.2 %; USDA Texas 40 lb carton US$74.40 in March 2022 vs US$42.16 in 2021).
Fresh Fruit Portal, U.S. lime importers look to diversify origins amid Mexican tariff uncertainty, March 2025 (USDA January 2025 imports: 146.6 million lb, 121.5 million from Mexico, 19.5 million from Colombia; about US$38 per box).
Storage temperature, humidity, chilling injury and shelf life: postharvest handling recommendations for limes (Citrus latifolia) as used by Mexican packhouses; carton and crate dimensions, counts, pallet patterns and vent percentages: published pack specifications of Mexican exporters and U.S. receivers, consulted October 2026; trade practice, not laboratory data. Carton-equivalent and net-weight figures are our arithmetic on those numbers. This page gives no prices, minimums or firm lead times: ask for them in the quotation.