> people will choose fresh over canned, for obvious reasons

Not at all obvious. A lot of "fresh" produce in the US was refrigerated for more than a week before it arrived in the supermarket, from varieties that were designed to hold up to transport rather than flavor. Fruit that was canned at the height of the season is often much more flavorful than "fresh" off-season fruit.

The US has a problem with packing fruit in added sugar, which is sad but not inherent to canned fruit.