Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner expressed concerns about the impact of produce imports from Mexico under the current U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during a public hearing held on Dec. 3. He reported significant losses in sales, market share and jobs within Florida’s produce industry due to unfairly priced imports from Mexico.
The testimony was delivered as part of a hearing with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as the six-year joint review of the USMCA approaches on July 1. This statement follows previously submitted formal comments advocating for measures to ensure fair competition for Southeastern produce growers. Joyner noted that the present terms of USMCA lack necessary trade remedies for these growers.
“When USMCA was enacted by our country in 2020, it promised to improve trade fairness and economic prosperity for American interests,” Joyner said. “Its impact on our industry has been just the opposite.”
Referencing data from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Joyner highlighted market shifts over the last 10 to 20 years. Since 2014, Mexican blueberries have increased their U.S. market share by nearly fourfold, while Florida’s share has been reduced by half. The market share for Mexican bell peppers has doubled since 2004, while Florida’s has declined by 73%. Similar trends are evident across tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and additional crops, he noted.
“Since 2020, the Mexican industry has seized substantial additional market share and further depressed prices during Florida’s marketing season, causing that much more devastation to our grower community,” Joyner said.
He detailed the role of government-subsidized development within Mexico, noting the growth of an export-oriented protected agriculture sector, predominantly supplying the U.S. market during Florida’s peak production periods.
Joyner urged the Administration to implement product-specific seasonal import limits, or tariff rate quotas, during the USMCA joint review.
“Without these measures, American consumers may soon be forced to rely entirely on foreign-sourced fresh produce during several months of the year,” Joyner said. “Compromising our country’s core nutritional needs in this manner jeopardizes America’s food security, and by extension, our national security.”
Source: FFVA