The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on April 14 that it will withdraw from a 2019 agreement suspending anti-dumping investigations on Mexican tomatoes, imposing a 20.91% anti-dumping tariff on most tomato imports from Mexico starting July 14.
In a statement, the Commerce Department claimed that exiting the 2019 "Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico" would allow U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the market. The decision follows repeated trade disruptions under the Trump administration, which has wielded tariff threats unpredictably against global partners, sparking widespread criticism.
According to The Hill, Mexico is the largest supplier of tomatoes to the U.S. Since returning to the White House, former President Donald Trump has escalated erratic trade policies, including a March 4 move to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, citing failures to curb illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking. On April 2, the U.S. further declared a 10% "baseline tariff" on all trading partners, with higher rates for some.
Tensions flared again on April 10 when Trump threatened punitive tariffs against Mexico unless it met water delivery quotas to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded on social media, stating that despite severe droughts over the past three years, Mexico has fulfilled its obligations under the treaty by mobilizing available water resources to supply the U.S.
Analysts warn that the latest tariff measures risk destabilizing North American trade relations and exacerbating economic uncertainties.
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