Overview
- On July 14, the Commerce Department terminated the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement and issued an antidumping duty order imposing a 17.09% tariff on most Mexican tomato imports.
- The department said Mexican producers sold tomatoes at unfairly low prices, calculating the 17.09% rate to reflect the dumping margin.
- Retail grocery shoppers and restaurants are expected to see higher tomato costs this week as the new levy takes effect nationwide.
- Maryland and other U.S. tomato growers view the levy as an opportunity to win back market share but face hurdles in scale and supply chain infrastructure.
- The duty forms part of the Trump administration’s broader trade strategy, which includes a potential 30% tariff on all Mexican goods starting in August.