The Trump Administration withdrew from a longstanding trade agreement with Mexico governing the import of tomatoes and will push forward with a new tariff of just over 17%, the Commerce Department announced Monday.The announced tariff is slightly below a nearly 21% levy that the administration indicated it intended to impose in April, but could still have a substantial impact on food prices. The move comes just days after President Donald Trump announced his intention to impose a 30% tariff, starting Aug. 1, on many Mexican products that don’t fall under the North American trade agreement he negotiated in his first term.
“Mexico remains one of our greatest allies, but for far too long our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes. That ends today,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement. “This rule change is in line with President Trump’s trade policies and approach with Mexico.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier Monday she was confident that her country would find a way to avert Trump’s plans for additional tariffs.“We’ve had some experience with these things for several months now,” Sheinbaum said at a clinic opening in Ensenada, Baja California. “And I think we’re going to reach an agreement with the United States government.”
