U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) is urging U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to secure protections for Florida specialty crop growers amid trade negotiations with Mexico.
Steube sent a letter on Oct. 22, highlighting the impact that seasonal Mexican produce imports have had on his state’s growers. He called for product-specific tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) that are enforceable and implemented in the near term. He also pointed to Greer’s previous acknowledgment that current trade protections have not provided adequate relief for domestic specialty crop producers.
“Florida’s agricultural producers cannot afford another trade agreement that leaves these serious and growing challenges unresolved,” Steube said in the letter. “I support our industry’s urgent call for product-specific tariff rate quotas that are effectively structured, rigorously enforceable and put into effect in the near term. In your ongoing efforts with Mexico, I strongly urge you to prioritize securing these effective, enforceable measures to help sustain our domestic growers before any agreement with Mexico is finalized.”
TRQs
TRQs are two-tiered trade mechanisms that apply a low tariff rate on a specific volume of imported goods and a higher tariff rate on any imports that exceed that volume.
The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association reported that there has been a 527.8% increase in the value of imports from Mexico for all commodities. From 2004 to 2024, Florida has lost 73.4% of the market share in bell peppers, while Mexico gained 110.4%. During that same timeframe, Florida lost 54.4% of the market share in tomatoes, while Mexico gained 74.7%. Florida lost 52.0% of the market share in blueberries, while Mexico gained 361.7%.
“(USTR Greer), you acknowledged that you have brought the issue of seasonal import competition to the attention of your Mexican counterparts and that such a matter will remain a priority during the USMCA review. As trade negotiations with Mexico continue, I remain hopeful that your commitment to addressing such longstanding concerns will result in substantive relief for Florida’s agricultural producers,” Steube added in the letter.
The request reinforces an issue FFVA has continued to press with federal policymakers. Last November, FFVA submitted formal comments to USTR calling for product-specific TRQs during Florida’s fall-spring marketing season and requested an opportunity to testify before the agency.