Trump announces 21% tariffs on Mexican tomatoes

The Department of Commerce announced Monday that it will impose duty tariffs of 20.91% on most imports of Mexican tomatoes beginning in July. The Trump administration stressed that it made this decision because their prices are "unfair"and hurt domestic farmers.

Secretary Howard Lutnick announced in a statement that, within 90 days, it is withdrawing from the 2019 Agreement to Suspend the Antidumping Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico. That agreement allows Mexican producers to export tomatoes, known in some regions as jitomate, to its northern neighbor without paying antidumping duties.

But Washington warned that as of July 14 it will apply a surcharge "of 20.91% on most tomato imports from Mexico." "The current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato producers from unfairly priced Mexican imports," the Commerce Department notes.

Rep. Buchanan welcomes the end of Mexico's "unfair practices"

A move applauded by Rep. Vern Buchanan, vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Subcommittee on Trade. Buchanan has been fighting for years for "fair trade" in agricultural products in defense of domestic producers, especially in Florida, his state:

"Terminating the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement is a long-overdue victory for Florida’s tomato growers and the broader U.S. produce industry. For too long, unfair Mexican trade practices and illegal dumping have decimated American farms and tilted the playing field against our hardworking growers. This decision finally opens the door to strong, enforceable trade remedies that will protect American jobs, strengthen our rural economy and ensure our farmers can compete and thrive."

Nearly two million tons of Mexican tomatoes arrive annually in the U.S.

In 2024 Mexico was among the 10 largest producing countries of this fruit by covering 24.7% of the supply, according to data from the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture and Social Development. The main market for tomatoes was in fact, the United States.

According to the World Bank, Mexico exported 1.8 million tons of tomatoes to the United States in 2023, worth US$2.8 billion, reports AFP. It thus became among the first five agri-food products that generated more foreign exchange to the country.

The recipients also include Canada, Japan, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Belize and Brazil, according to data from the Mexican Executive.