President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed this Wednesday in the morning conference the complaints made by American tomato growers, especially from Florida, which have caused years of sanctions from the United States against Mexico for alleged 'dumping' in the market for this product. Sheinbaum emphasized that Mexican tomatoes are irreplaceable in terms of volume and quality compared to those grown domestically in the United States.
In response to the announced 20.91% sanction, Sheinbaum clarified that it is not a tariff, but a 'countervailing duty' arising from dumping accusations dating back to 1996, when it was established that tomato imports from Mexico should be regulated by a specific agreement.
Julio Berdegué, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), explained that dumping involves selling tomatoes at a price below the actual price, with the aim of capturing market share and eliminating competition. In this regard, the government will seek to engage in dialogue with Washington to avoid such sanctions, considering that 90% of the tomatoes imported by the United States come from Mexico.
Berdegué warned of a possible increase in food prices in the United States, as six out of ten tomatoes consumed in that country are Mexican. In 2023, Mexico exported tomatoes valued at 2.562 billion dollars to the United States, representing 99.8% of its total exports of this product.
Sheinbaum highlighted the difficulty of being replaced in the market due to the quality and competitive prices of Mexican tomatoes, pointing out that if the United States chooses other supply sources, this could result in a 21% increase in tomato costs for American consumers.
