Water: Imported

Until the late 1970s bottled water was imported for health concerns and in response to a fashionable trend. With the growing globalization of firms and consumption patterns, more and more foreign companies started to export their own brands. As a result, the volume of bottled water imported into the United States remained relatively stable in the last decade, accounting for 127.9 million gallons in 2009 (123.9 million gallons in 2001); however, the volume of imported water is prone to fluctuations, registering double digit growth and contraction during the early twenty-first century. The prestige of imported waters seems to justify the considerable transport costs; however, in the last few years the rise of transportation costs considerably increased the financial costs of transporting bottled water. The leading imported bottled water brands are Evian, Aberfoyle Springs, Naya, Perrier, San Pellegrino, Avalon, Fiji, Apollinaris, Volvic, and Vittel. Perrier is the foremost imported spa water in the U.S. market.