WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department announced on Monday its withdrawal from a 2019 agreement that suspended an anti-dumping duty investigation on fresh tomatoes from Mexico. The Department will now impose duties of 17.09% on most imports from Mexico, citing unfair pricing practices.
Antidumping duties are designed to address the selling of Mexican tomatoes in the United States at artificially low prices, according to the Commerce Department.
President Donald Trump recently threatened to implement a 30% tariff on Mexican imports starting August 1, following unsuccessful trade negotiations with Mexico.
Mexico’s agriculture and economy ministries have not yet commented on this development, though Mexico had expressed confidence in renewing the tomato agreement with the U.S. as recently as April.
The agreement, in place since 1996 and last renewed in 2019, aims to regulate Mexican tomato exports to ensure fair competition for U.S. producers and avoid trade disputes.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that American farmers have long been affected by unfair trade practices, particularly in the tomato market.
Last year, Mexico exported $3.3 billion worth of tomatoes, with the majority going to the U.S.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter and Lincoln Feast.)
