The Mexican government initiated diplomatic negotiations with the United States to avoid the application of a 20.91% tariff on Mexican tomato exports, a measure that would take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision, promoted by the U .S . Department of Commerce, is based on an anti-dumping investigation requested by U.S. producers, mainly from Florida, who accuse Mexican exporters of selling at unfairly low prices.
Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, affirmed this April 15 that Mexican authorities will seek to resolve the conflict through dialogue. “We are committed to economic diplomacy. These anti-dumping investigations are common, but we believe that in this case the accusations are unfounded,” he said at a press conference.
A key product
Mexico is the main supplier of fresh tomatoes to the United States.
According to official data from Data Mexico, in 2023 the country exported 99.8% of its tomato production to the U.S. market, with a total value of 2.562 billion dollars.
It is estimated that six out of every ten tomatoes consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico.
This makes clear the impact the tariff would have not only on Mexican producers, but also on U.S. consumers.
Berdegué was emphatic: “There are not many countries capable of supplying tomatoes with this quality, volume and competitive price”.
If this tariff is implemented, what will happen is that Americans will pay 21% more for tomatoes
Julio Berdegué
Agreement at risk
Buzzy
The new measure would reverse the agreement signed in 2019 under the Donald Trump administration, which eliminated a similar tariff after bilateral negotiations.
The recent decision is part of a preliminary “trade protection” order issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, but its final application is still 90 days away.
The Mexican government hopes that, during this period, the technical and political discussions will succeed in avoiding the imposition of the tax.
It also preserves the stability of one of the most important agrifood chains in North America.
For U.S. Hispanics, this issue is relevant, as many are part of the agribusiness system in both Mexico and the United States.
Any disruption of prices or jobs in the value chain can have direct consequences in their communities.
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