US Imposes 21% Duty on Mexican Tomatoes

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced it will impose a 20.91% antidumping duty on most tomato imports from Mexico starting July 14, following the termination of a 2019 agreement that failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced imports. Mexico, the largest supplier of fresh tomatoes to the U.S., denies dumping allegations and seeks dialogue to avoid the duties, arguing that American consumers will face higher prices without a substitute. The former agreement included provisions to prevent low-quality imports and set minimum pricing standards, but U.S. growers urged for its termination, claiming it was ineffective. This move continues the Trump administration's tariff strategies, which have included broad levies on various sectors and countries. Observers, like Michael R. Strain from the American Enterprise Institute, criticize the decision for potentially increasing grocery prices in the U.S.