情人节来临 美国巧克力零售价同比涨超14%

Group 1 - The core point of the article highlights that chocolate prices in the U.S. have risen significantly due to a shortage of cocoa supply, with an increase of over 14% year-on-year as Valentine's Day approaches [1][3] - According to Datasembly, from January 1 to early February, the retail price of chocolate in the U.S. increased by 14.4%, which is a notable rise compared to 7.8% last year and 10.5% in 2024 [3] - Cities like Denver and Los Angeles saw chocolate prices rise by approximately 17%, while the Dallas-Fort Worth area experienced a staggering increase of 19% [3] Group 2 - The rise in chocolate prices is primarily driven by a global shortage of cocoa beans, with West Africa accounting for about 70% of the world's cocoa production. Extreme weather conditions have led to poor cocoa harvests, pushing cocoa futures prices from around $2,500 per ton in mid-2022 to over $12,600 per ton by the end of 2024 [5] - Although international cocoa prices have recently declined, U.S. chocolate products are still dealing with high-cost inventory from previous purchases, and the demand during the holiday season is likely to sustain the upward price trend in the short term [5] - The National Confectioners Association indicates that chocolate is the most popular candy for Valentine's Day, accounting for about 75% of all candy sales. The National Retail Federation projects that consumer spending on candy during this Valentine's Day will reach $2.6 billion, approximately 18 billion yuan [6]