Mexican Tomato Exporters Get Hit on the Chin by Trump’s 17% Tariff

The Trump administration’s decision to impose a 17% duty on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico has created a dilemma for the country that supplies more tomatoes to U.S. consumers than any other, Fabiola Sanchez reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Climate-controlled and pest-free, Veggie Prime’s greenhouses in Ajuchitlán send around 100 tons of fresh tomatoes every week to Mastronardi Produce.

The import tax, which began on July 14, is just the latest protectionist move by an administration that has threatened dozens of countries with tariffs—including its critical trading partner, Mexico.

It comes as the Mexican government also seeks to negotiate its way out of a 30% general tariff scheduled to take effect on August 1.

While the impacts of the tomato tariff are still in their early stages, a major grower and exporter in central Mexico illustrates how a tariff targeting a single product can destabilize an entire sector.

Climate-controlled and pest-free, Veggie Prime’s greenhouses in Ajuchitlán send around 100 tons of fresh tomatoes every week to Mastronardi Produce.

The Canadian company is the leading distributor of fresh tomatoes in the U.S., with clients including Costco and Walmart. Moisés Atri, Veggie Prime’s export director, said they have been exporting tomatoes to the U.S. for 13 years.

Their long-term investment and the high cost of production make it impossible to pivot quickly.

They are also contractually obligated to sell everything they produce to Mastronardi until 2026. “None of us [producers] can afford it,” Atri said. “We have to approach our client to adjust the prices because we’re nowhere near making that kind of profit.”