The vine-ripened market tips back to American producers.
President Donald Trump’s administration has terminated the US-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement, effective July 14, 2025, following decades of abuse by Mexican producers who “dump” tomatoes into the United States at below-market prices. American farmers have suffered significantly despite numerous efforts to re-negotiate the terms of the agreement. The termination is one of many efforts by the administration to bolster US farming.
‘We Won’t Be Fooled Again’
Mexican tomatoes will now be subject to a 21% tariff to counter the dumping of billions of dollars of the produce into the United States. Since the first agreement was signed in 1996, imports of Mexican tomatoes have increased by nearly 400% and now comprise more than 70% of the US market. US farmers’ market share has plummeted from 80% to 30%. The agreement has been adjusted over the years, including during Trump’s first presidency, when the Mexican government rejected a proposal to subject all tomato exports to border inspections, deeming it “totally unacceptable.” A last-minute agreement in 2019 between the two nations averted an anti-dumping investigation and ended a months-long tariff dispute.
American farmers claim that Mexican producers have repeatedly failed to fulfill their promises, prompting a 2023 petition from the US tomato industry, which garnered bipartisan support from more than 60 members of Congress from 11 states, as well as the American Farm Bureau and state Farm Bureaus from all nine tomato-producing states. The US International Trade Commission unanimously ruled that these practices were seriously harming US tomato growers. This prompted the recent termination of the Suspension Agreement and imposition of tomato tariffs.
Numerous farming voices have hailed the Trump administration’s suspension of the agreement as an overdue boost for farmers. Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE), explained that “this is not about protectionism. It’s about ensuring that US agriculture has a future.” The American beef cattle herd is at record lows due to farmer attrition, and tomatoes are just one crucial crop that is being outsourced abroad.
Florida Speaks for the Nation
Guenther explained in a commentary at the Daily Caller:
“Across Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and California, family farms have disappeared —not because they couldn’t compete, but because they were forced to play by the rules while others didn’t.
“When trade laws are enforced, American agriculture thrives. When they’re ignored, we risk losing our domestic food supply. We’ve seen the warning signs during recent global disruptions: empty shelves, inflated prices, and an overreliance on foreign suppliers.
“Terminating the suspension agreement is the first real step toward restoring fair competition, protecting rural economies, and preserving our ability to grow food here at home.”
A recent first-ever study of Florida farmers’ mental health, the 2025 Mind Your Melon Farmer Wellbeing Survey, found that Florida farmers and ranchers are suffering emotional distress aggravated by financial pressures. The report concluded that “[t]op stressors included weather, market volatility, lack of public understanding of agriculture, work and home balance, and financial insecurity.”
The Florida Tomato Exchange speaks for more than just the Sunshine State. Member companies produce more than 90% of Florida-grown tomatoes but also include the largest producers of tomatoes in California, Georgia, New Jersey, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The organization’s members produce about 50% of all fresh-market tomatoes in the country, which are directly impacted by Mexico’s habitual market dumping and the termination of the current agreement.
The Future of US Tomatoes
Not all voices support the move to impose a 21% tariff on tomatoes from Mexico. The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) warns that the move could lead to higher prices for consumers, job losses, and disruptions to the food supply. Approximately half of all Mexican tomatoes are imported into the United States through the Rio Grande Valley. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) declared, “I have always been a staunch advocate for more fair trade between our trading partners, but the termination of this agreement will cause us more harm than good.”
The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) blames domestic growers for their plight on the grounds of “failure to innovate” and for growing “gas-green” tomatoes that are picked green and reddened by exposure to ethylene gas, leading consumers to favor vine-ripened tomatoes from south of the border. FPAA also points out that several of Florida’s largest tomato farmers operate “significant tomato farms in Mexico to meet vine-ripe tomato demand” and claims the end of the suspension agreement will cause price inflation for vine-ripened, specialty, and Roma tomatoes in American grocery stores.
FTE’s Robert Guenther counters that “[w]hat American tomato growers want is simple: a level playing field. Over the years, they’ve modernized operations, invested in sustainability, and supported thousands of rural jobs.” It appears that some US retailers and distributors have prospered by reselling cheap Mexican tomatoes while many domestic farmers have lost profits and market share.
The adage that “you can’t please all the people all the time” applies to Mexican tomatoes ripened on the vine. The Trump administration has favored American farmers by terminating the US-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement and imposing tariffs on tomatoes. US farmers are applauding the move.
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