Price of Bananas

The given line chart illustrates the price per kilogram of imported bananas in four countries—the USA, Japan, France, and Germany—over the period from 1996 to 2004. The data is measured in USD per kg.

Overall, Japan consistently had the highest banana import prices, despite a declining trend, while the USA recorded the lowest prices throughout the period. France remained stable, and Germany showed fluctuations but experienced a general upward trend.

In 1996, Japan began with the highest price at $2/kg, which rose sharply to $3 in 1998, before dropping and settling at $2 in 2004. In contrast, the USA started at $1 and showed only a slight increase to $1.2 by the end.

France’s prices were relatively stable, starting and ending at $2, although they dipped below that level during much of the period. Germany saw more volatility—beginning at $1.5, peaking above $2.5 in 1998, dropping to $1.3 the next year, then climbing gradually to $2 before finishing at $1.7.