How are export strawberries packed for the U.S. market?

In three levels. Fruit is picked straight into a vented PET clamshell, almost always 1 lb (454 g). Eight clamshells go into an open, wax-free corrugated tray of about 19.75 × 15.5 × 3.5 in (502 × 394 × 89 mm). Trays are stacked on a 48 × 40 in pallet, 6 per layer, and the large California grower-shippers publish 120 trays per pallet for this format, that is 960 clamshells and roughly 435 kg of fruit. The pallet is forced-air cooled to 0 °C within an hour of harvest and travels under refrigeration, often inside a pallet-sized modified-atmosphere bag.

How many strawberry trays fit on a pallet?

For the 8 × 1 lb tray, the published count is 120 trays per 48 × 40 in pallet at 6 trays per layer and 20 layers; some receivers accept only 18 layers, 108 trays. The 2 lb (4 per tray) and 4 lb (2 per tray) formats use a narrower tray of about 19.5 × 11.75 in and reach 160 trays per pallet. A five-down master carton of three 4 lb clamshells reaches about 330 clamshells per pallet. Always confirm the count and maximum pallet height with your receiver, because the distribution centre, not the packer, sets the limit.

At what temperature and humidity are strawberries shipped?

The UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center recommends 0 ± 0.5 °C (32 ± 1 °F) and 90 to 95 % relative humidity, and warns that a delay of more than 1 hour between harvest and cooling reduces the percentage of marketable fruit. Respiration is 6 to 10 ml CO₂ per kg per hour at 0 °C but 50 to 100 at 20 °C, so every warm hour costs shelf life. For long hauls a modified atmosphere of 10 to 15 % CO₂ slows Botrytis, normally achieved with a bag over the whole pallet. The tray therefore has to keep its stacking strength in near-saturated air and let forced air pass through it.

Should a strawberry tray be corrugated board or plastic?

For the one-way export trip the wax-free corrugated tray is the standard: it is recyclable at destination and it is what the retail chains expect. Plastic earns its place in the loops that come back: harvest trays, field-to-cooler movement and cold-room handling, where a 4 to 5 mm PP corrugated plastic tray is washed and reused many times and does not weaken in humid air. They are two different jobs, and many operations run both. We do not recommend replacing the retail tray with plastic simply because it lasts longer.

What is the U.S. antidumping deposit on Mexican strawberries?

On August 18, 2026 the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination on fresh winter strawberries from Mexico (case A-201-869), with margins of 5.28 % for Driscoll's Operaciones, 3.37 % for Mainland Farms and 4.83 % for all other exporters. Importers post cash deposits at those rates on fruit entering from November 1 to March 31. The final determination is expected around January 8, 2027, and the ITC injury investigation runs in parallel. It is a measure on the fruit, not on the packaging, and it can still change: confirm with your customs broker before building it into a cost model.

What does a supplier need to quote strawberry trays?

Twelve points: clamshell format and count per tray; the outside tray dimensions your receiver accepts; clamshell brand and model; trays per pallet and maximum height; hours in the cooler and type of cooling; whether the pallet is bagged in modified atmosphere; the compression strength your customer specifies; printing and a clear panel for the traceability label; machine-glued or hand-locked tray; quantity per season and in the peak week; first harvest date; and destination port or plant with Incoterm.

Strawberry Export Packaging Guide: the 1 lb Clamshell, the 8×1 lb Corrugated Tray, Trays per Pallet, Cold-Chain Numbers and What to Put in the Quotation Request

Fuxing Development Group · Updated October 17, 2026 · For U.S. importers, retail buyers and repackers, Florida and California packers, and Mexican exporters shipping to the United States · Versión en español

Quick answer: Export strawberries travel in three levels of packaging. (1) A vented PET clamshell, almost always 1 lb (454 g), filled in the field. (2) An open, wax-free corrugated tray for 8 one-pound clamshells, about 19.75 × 15.5 × 3.5 in (502 × 394 × 89 mm). (3) A 48 × 40 in pallet, 6 trays per layer, up to 120 trays: 960 clamshells and roughly 435 kg of fruit per pallet. Everything is forced-air cooled to 0 °C at 90–95 % relative humidity, and UC Davis warns that more than 1 hour between picking and cooling already costs marketable fruit. When you order trays, what matters is that they match your customer's clamshell and pallet, hold their stacking strength wet without wax, let cooling air through, and arrive before the season opens. The 12 points a supplier needs to quote are at the end of this page.

Why strawberry packaging is being re-priced for the 2026/27 season

Strawberries are the highest-value berry on the U.S. retail shelf and the only one that is picked directly into the package the shopper buys. Two developments in 2026 land on the packaging buyer's desk at the same time.

Fact	Figure	What it means for the tray	Source
U.S. antidumping case on Mexican winter strawberries	Preliminary affirmative determination announced August 18, 2026: 5.28 % (Driscoll's Operaciones), 3.37 % (Mainland Farms), 4.83 % all others; cash deposits on fruit entering November 1 – March 31; final determination expected around January 8, 2027	Margin per tray is thinner for Mexican fruit; Florida packers expect a firmer winter price. Both sides tender packaging on written specifications rather than on what the broker has in stock	U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration fact sheet (case A-201-869); The Packer, August 19, 2026
Mexican winter imports, November–March	200.6 million kg worth US$933 million in 2024/25, up from 188.5 million kg in 2022/23	At 3.63 kg of fruit per 8×1 lb tray that is on the order of 55 million tray-equivalents crossing in five months	U.S. Census Bureau data cited in the Commerce fact sheet
California production	About 90 % of U.S. strawberries; USDA projects about 43,700 acres in 2026, up 2 %; the California Strawberry Commission projected 7 to 8 million trays a week through August and reports fall acreage up 6.7 %	The 8×1 lb tray is the industry's unit of count, so its footprint and height are fixed by the trade, not by the packer	Fresh Fruit Portal / Agronometrics, April 23 and September 1, 2026
Retail format shift	The 2 lb clamshell has grown category sales without cannibalising the 1 lb; 4 lb family packs are shipped in a five-down master of three clamshells, about 330 clamshells per pallet	Packers now carry three or four tray dies instead of one; the tray supplier has to hold all of them to the same pallet footprint	California Strawberry Commission as reported by Fresh Fruit Portal, September 1, 2026; California Giant Berry Farms packaging announcement

Volumes are published in kilograms and in trays, never in boxes of a single size; the tray-equivalent above is simple arithmetic at 3.63 kg of fruit per tray and ignores the 2 lb and 4 lb formats, so read it as an order of magnitude. This page is packaging guidance, not customs advice: confirm deposit rates and the status of the investigation with your broker.

The three levels of strawberry packaging

Strawberries are not washed, graded on a line or repacked. The picker places the fruit straight into the retail clamshell, closes it, sets it in the tray, and the tray goes onto the pallet in the field. That is why strawberry packaging is decided before the season and does not change mid-harvest, and why the tray has to work with a specific clamshell rather than with "a one-pound clamshell".

Level	What it is	Usual material	What it must do
1. Retail unit	Hinged, vented clamshell: 1 lb, 2 lb or 4 lb; also 8.8 oz (250 g) and 1 lb stem (long-stem) packs	Clear PET or recycled PET	Firm closure, vents aligned with the tray's vents, room for the PLU and traceability label
2. Tray (flat)	Open tray that carries 8 × 1 lb, or 4 × 2 lb, or 2 × 4 lb clamshells; the five-down 3 × 4 lb master is the exception with a closed top	Wax-free corrugated board, machine-glued or hand-locked	Hold stacking strength at 90–95 % RH for days; let forced air through; carry a scannable label panel
3. Pallet	48 × 40 in, 6 trays per layer, 18 to 20 layers	Heat-treated wood, corner boards and strapping; pallet-sized modified-atmosphere bag on long hauls	Height the distribution centre accepts; stability during forced-air cooling and road transport
Internal loop	Harvest trays, field-to-cooler movement, cold-room staging, empty clamshell distribution to the field	Rigid injection-moulded plastic or 4–5 mm PP corrugated plastic, washable	Survive washing, humidity and hundreds of trips; fold or nest for the return leg

Tray formats and trays per pallet

The dimensions below are the ones the large California grower-shippers publish for their retail presentations and the ones Mexican packers copy for the same U.S. receivers. They are the reference your tray has to match; the exact die line comes from your customer's specification sheet.

Presentation	Clamshells per tray	Tray (H × L × W, in)	≈ mm	Trays per pallet	Fruit per pallet*
1 lb	8	3.5 × 19.75 × 15.5	89 × 502 × 394	120	960 lb ≈ 435 kg
8.8 oz (250 g)	12	3.5 × 19.75 × 15.5	89 × 502 × 394	120	792 lb ≈ 359 kg
1 lb stem	4	3 × 19.75 × 15.5	76 × 502 × 394	120	480 lb ≈ 218 kg
2 lb	4	3.875 × 19.5 × 11.75	98 × 495 × 298	160	1,280 lb ≈ 581 kg
3 lb	3	4 × 19.5 × 11.75	102 × 495 × 298	152	1,368 lb ≈ 621 kg
4 lb	2	3.875 × 19.5 × 11.75	98 × 495 × 298	160	1,280 lb ≈ 581 kg
4 lb, five-down master	3	Closed master, five per layer	—	110 (330 clamshells)	1,320 lb ≈ 599 kg

*Fruit per pallet is our arithmetic (trays × clamshells × net weight) and excludes packaging and pallet weight. The 8×1 lb tray is also published by tray manufacturers at about 20.0 × 15.8 × 3.7 in, 6 per layer on a 48 × 40 in pallet, with 108 or 120 per pallet (18 or 20 layers). Dimensions differ by a few millimetres between manufacturers: ask your customer for the tray drawing before you cut a die. A 53 ft reefer trailer carries 26 single-stacked pallets of strawberries, about 3,120 trays of 8×1 lb; a 40 ft high-cube reefer container carries 20 to 21 pallets.

What to specify in a corrugated strawberry tray

Point	What to specify	Why
Outside dimensions	Those on your customer's drawing, in millimetres, with tolerance	Six trays must cover the 48 × 40 in pallet without overhang or gaps
Inside dimensions	Those of the clamshell you will use, brand and model, with clearance	Eight clamshells packed tight pop open; packed loose they rattle and bruise the fruit
Board	Flute, liner basis weights and the box compression strength measured after humid conditioning; single-wall C flute of 44 ECT or above is the usual starting point for a 20-high stack	The tray spends days at 90–95 % RH; board loses strength as it absorbs water
Wax-free	A recyclable moisture-resistant treatment, not wax	Waxed trays are not recycled with ordinary corrugated and many chains refuse them
Vents	Position and open area, aligned with the clamshell vents	Forced air has to cross the pallet; a blocked vent lengthens cooling and warms the centre
Corners and stacking	Tabs or corner posts that lock one tray into the one above	The pallet carries 18 to 20 layers and travels hours on the road
Assembly	Machine-glued or hand-locked; how the tray is delivered (flat blanks or erected)	Sets packhouse labour and how many trays fit in a container of flat blanks
Printing	Inks, brand panel and a smooth blank panel for the traceability label	The case label with GS1 barcode and lot has to scan at the distribution centre

For papers, flutes and compression testing see our banana carton guide: board, wet compression and ventilation; the same wet-strength logic applies to a berry tray.

Corrugated board, rigid plastic or PP corrugated plastic: each in its own leg

Option	Where it works	Where it does not
Wax-free corrugated tray	The one-way export trip: recyclable at destination and what the retail chains expect	Washing, ice, repeated field use
Rigid injection-moulded plastic crate	Harvest and collection with years of use; tall, heavy stacks; nestable for the return	One-way export: heavier, costlier, and it has to come back
PP corrugated plastic tray or box, 4–5 mm	Harvest trays, field-to-packhouse and cold-room loops; washable, absorbs no water, travels and stores flat	As a direct replacement for the retail export tray, unless your customer asks for it and a return or recycling plan exists

Said plainly: we do not recommend swapping the corrugated export tray for plastic just because plastic lasts longer. Plastic pays for itself when the box makes many trips. The per-trip arithmetic is in PP box vs cardboard: real cost per trip, the sheet grades in the corrugated plastic thickness guide, and how to describe a PP box in a request for quotation in 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.

Cold chain: the numbers the package has to respect

Parameter	Recommendation	What it means for the package
Temperature	0 ± 0.5 °C (32 ± 1 °F)	Tray and clamshell vents aligned so forced air crosses the pallet
Relative humidity	90–95 %; 100 % causes condensation that promotes decay	Board must keep its compression strength wet; ask for the wet figure, not only the basis weight
Harvest-to-cooling delay	More than 1 hour already reduces marketable fruit	Trays must be erected and in the field before picking starts
Modified atmosphere	10–15 % CO₂ slows Botrytis and respiration, usually with a bag over the whole pallet	Pallet must be stable and dimensionally exact so the bag seals
Respiration	6–10 ml CO₂/kg·h at 0 °C; 25–50 at 10 °C; 50–100 at 20 °C	Every warm hour consumes shelf life: the package must not slow cooling
Ethylene	Strawberries do not ripen in response to ethylene; harvest near full ripeness	No ripening room, so there is no second chance to fix a slow-cooled pallet

Source: UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center, strawberry produce fact sheet. For micro-perforated bags and modified-atmosphere liners on other berries see our cherry MAP bags guide and the micro-perforated produce bags guide.

Season calendar and when to order

Florida ships from Plant City and Hillsborough County from late November to March; Mexico (Michoacán, Baja California, Guanajuato) ships from November to March into the same receivers; California supplies the rest of the year with its peak from May to August. Packaging imported by sea needs manufacturing, transit and clearance: as a working rule, close artwork and specification 10 to 12 weeks before the first harvest and ask for the schedule in writing with the quotation.

If your first harvest is in…	Close specification and artwork in…	Have packaging in the warehouse in…
Late November (Florida, Mexico)	August	October
December – January (winter peak)	September – October	November – December
February – March replenishment	November – December	January
May (California peak build-up)	February	April

For the 2026/27 winter season the November window has already passed; what can still be programmed is peak replenishment and harvest-loop equipment for the following cycle. Transit from Asia to Long Beach or Houston is about 18 to 30 days, to Manzanillo 30 to 35 days.

The 12 points a supplier needs to quote strawberry trays and crates

#	Tell the supplier	Why it matters
1	Presentation: 1 lb, 2 lb, 4 lb, 8.8 oz; clamshells per tray	Defines the tray
2	Outside tray dimensions your customer accepts	Must cover the 48 × 40 in pallet
3	Clamshell brand and model	Fixes inside dimensions and vent positions
4	Trays per pallet and maximum height	Defines the stacking load
5	Hours in the cooler and type of cooling	Defines wet compression strength
6	Is the pallet bagged in modified atmosphere?	Requires an exact pallet footprint
7	Compression strength your customer specifies	Compares suppliers on the same test
8	Printing and a clear label panel	Tooling and barcode readability
9	Machine-glued or hand-locked	Changes the design and how it ships
10	Quantity per season and in the peak week	Schedules production and shipments
11	First harvest date	Sets the delivery deadline
12	Destination port or plant and Incoterm	Freight is quoted on flat volume

Corrugated trays, PP corrugated plastic harvest trays and berry bags, from one supplier

Fuxing Group manufactures FSC corrugated cartons and trays, foldable PP corrugated plastic boxes in 2–10 mm sheet and fruit bags in China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with ISO 9001 and SGS verification. PET clamshells (1 lb, 2 lb and 700 g) come from a partner thermoforming plant in Dongguan and can ship in the same container: see our strawberry clamshells. Send the 12 points above and your customer's tray drawing; we reply in English or Spanish within 12 hours with a drawing, a sample and a quotation, with basis weights, wet compression and static load in writing.

Quote on WhatsApp Email jacky@fuxinggroup.cn

Or use the contact form →

Frequently asked questions

How are export strawberries packed for the U.S. market?: In three levels. Fruit is picked straight into a vented PET clamshell, almost always 1 lb (454 g). Eight clamshells go into an open, wax-free corrugated tray of about 19.75 × 15.5 × 3.5 in (502 × 394 × 89 mm). Trays are stacked on a 48 × 40 in pallet, 6 per layer, and the large California grower-shippers publish 120 trays per pallet for this format, that is 960 clamshells and roughly 435 kg of fruit. The pallet is forced-air cooled to 0 °C within an hour of harvest and travels under refrigeration, often inside a pallet-sized modified-atmosphere bag.
How many strawberry trays fit on a pallet?: For the 8 × 1 lb tray, the published count is 120 trays per 48 × 40 in pallet at 6 trays per layer and 20 layers; some receivers accept only 18 layers, 108 trays. The 2 lb (4 per tray) and 4 lb (2 per tray) formats use a narrower tray of about 19.5 × 11.75 in and reach 160 trays per pallet. A five-down master carton of three 4 lb clamshells reaches about 330 clamshells per pallet. Always confirm the count and maximum pallet height with your receiver, because the distribution centre, not the packer, sets the limit.
At what temperature and humidity are strawberries shipped?: The UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center recommends 0 ± 0.5 °C (32 ± 1 °F) and 90 to 95 % relative humidity, and warns that a delay of more than 1 hour between harvest and cooling reduces the percentage of marketable fruit. Respiration is 6 to 10 ml CO₂ per kg per hour at 0 °C but 50 to 100 at 20 °C, so every warm hour costs shelf life. For long hauls a modified atmosphere of 10 to 15 % CO₂ slows Botrytis, normally achieved with a bag over the whole pallet. The tray therefore has to keep its stacking strength in near-saturated air and let forced air pass through it.
Should a strawberry tray be corrugated board or plastic?: For the one-way export trip the wax-free corrugated tray is the standard: it is recyclable at destination and it is what the retail chains expect. Plastic earns its place in the loops that come back: harvest trays, field-to-cooler movement and cold-room handling, where a 4 to 5 mm PP corrugated plastic tray is washed and reused many times and does not weaken in humid air. They are two different jobs, and many operations run both. We do not recommend replacing the retail tray with plastic simply because it lasts longer.
What is the U.S. antidumping deposit on Mexican strawberries?: On August 18, 2026 the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination on fresh winter strawberries from Mexico (case A-201-869), with margins of 5.28 % for Driscoll's Operaciones, 3.37 % for Mainland Farms and 4.83 % for all other exporters. Importers post cash deposits at those rates on fruit entering from November 1 to March 31. The final determination is expected around January 8, 2027, and the ITC injury investigation runs in parallel. It is a measure on the fruit, not on the packaging, and it can still change: confirm with your customs broker before building it into a cost model.
What does a supplier need to quote strawberry trays?: Twelve points: clamshell format and count per tray; the outside tray dimensions your receiver accepts; clamshell brand and model; trays per pallet and maximum height; hours in the cooler and type of cooling; whether the pallet is bagged in modified atmosphere; the compression strength your customer specifies; printing and a clear panel for the traceability label; machine-glued or hand-locked tray; quantity per season and in the peak week; first harvest date; and destination port or plant with Incoterm.

Sources

U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of fresh winter strawberries from Mexico, August 18, 2026 (margins, petitioners, November–March import volumes and values, final determination date).
The Packer, Florida strawberry growers win preliminary Commerce ruling on Mexican imports, August 19, 2026 (cash deposits on November 1 – March 31 entries).
UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center, Strawberry produce fact sheet (temperature, humidity, respiration, modified atmosphere, cooling delay).
Fresh Fruit Portal / Agronometrics, Fresh US strawberry output projected up, April 23, 2026, and California strawberry production holds steady despite weather shifts, September 1, 2026 (acreage, trays per week, 2 lb format).
The Produce News, Cal Giant promotes family size containers (five-down master of three 4 lb clamshells, 330 clamshells per pallet).
Tray dimensions and pallet counts: published pack specifications of major California grower-shippers and tray manufacturers, consulted October 2026; trade practice, not laboratory data. Fruit-per-pallet and tray-equivalent figures are our arithmetic on those numbers. This page gives no prices, minimums or firm lead times: ask for them in the quotation.