By Clint Thompson
The next 90 days are critical for the domestic tomato industry. That is how Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, views the next three months following Monday’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) would terminate the 2019 U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement, which will become effective July 14, 2025.
Guenther believes the Mexican government will try to negotiate a new agreement, even amid ‘dumping’ evidence of Mexican imported tomatoes.
“There’s going to be a lot of back and forth in the next 90 days. We are confident that the administration will hold firm. We have a positive finding, both from the Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission (ITC) of dumping and injury to the domestic industry. There’s no debate of that. Everybody has had their day in court,” Guenther said.
“We’re on a path forward of seeing these duties being put in place because of the dumping over almost the last 30 years. We expect they will try to come in and try to renegotiate another suspension agreement. We are very solidly not supporting any new suspension agreement whatsoever. There is no room for negotiation anymore.”
Background
The U.S. DOC found that Mexican tomatoes were being dumped in the U.S. at high levels in 2019, and the U.S. ITC confirmed the material injurious effect of that dumping on the American tomato industry. This week’s decision enforces those findings and will restore fair competition in the marketplace.
“Once the agreement is terminated officially in 90 days, and once the duties come in place, there is no more suspension agreement. There is no more negotiation. It’s done,” Guenther added.
No additional investigative steps are required, as the underlying antidumping case was completed in 2019.
The member companies of the Florida Tomato Exchange produce more than 90% of the tomatoes produced in Florida and are among the largest producers of tomatoes in California, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Source: Florida Tomato Exchange