The Trump administration has imposed a 17.09 percent duty on tomatoes imported from Mexico, impacting a market where 65% of tomatoes consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico. While Florida tomato growers welcome the duties for protecting domestic agriculture, industry detractors argue it will limit consumer choices, particularly for popular varieties like cherry and heirloom tomatoes. Retail and restaurant associations express concern over potential disruptions to year-round tomato availability, highlighting the conflict between domestic protections and consumer access to diverse tomato options.
Consumers will be left with fewer choices," said Skip Hulett of NatureSweet, a Texas-based company that grows most of its tomatoes in Mexico.
Competition is all good as long as it's fair," said Tony DiMare, president of DiMare Inc., a 97-year-old company that grows and distributes tomatoes in the United States.
However, retail and restaurant associations say it could limit year-round access to tomatoes at a time when shoppers have become accustomed to seeing heirloom, cherry and other varieties regularly stocked in stores.
Tomatoes imported from Mexico will be subject to a 17.09 percent levy starting in mid-July as the Trump administration withdraws from a decades-old trade agreement.
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