The Commerce Department on Monday announced its intent to withdraw from the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico, with termination effective in 90 days.

With the termination of this agreement, Commerce will institute an antidumping duty order on July 14, 2025, resulting in duties of 20.91% on most imports of tomatoes from Mexico.

But the Wall Street Journal reported today from Mexico City that Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué Sacristán said Mexico will seek to negotiate a new agreement with the U.S. to avoid the antidumping duties.

“We’re going to talk, seek dialogue,” Berdegué Sacristán said at Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference. An agreement was reached in 2019 and “probably the same thing will happen this time,” he added. He denied that Mexican producers sell tomatoes below cost in the U.S.

“This is a major victory for American agriculture,” said Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange. “For decades, American tomato farmers have suffered from unfair trade practices by Mexican tomato exporters. Terminating this agreement and enforcing U.S. trade laws is the only way to finally give domestic growers the relief they’ve long deserved. We thank the administration for standing strong in support of American farmers and the rule of law against unfair foreign trade practices.” 

Guenther said Commerce’s decision comes in response to a 2023 petition from the U.S. tomato industry, which was backed by more than 60 bipartisan members of Congress from 11 states, the American Farm Bureau Federation, state Farm Bureaus from all nine major tomato-producing states, and 15 fruit and vegetable trade associations across the country.

The International Fresh Produce Association, which has opposed the tomato tariffs in the past, said today it “remains committed to supporting fair, rules-based trade that promotes market access and ensures a steady supply of fresh, nutritious food for consumers. While trade remedies can address specific issues, prolonged disruptions may create challenges for producers and increase costs across the supply chain.

“We encourage continued dialogue between U.S. and Mexican officials to prevent further escalation and work toward solutions that support producers, maintain strong trade relationships, and provide consumers with affordable food choices.

“To strengthen U.S. agricultural competitiveness and keep food accessible, IFPA also advocates for meaningful regulatory reform that reduces burdens on growers and enhances long-term food security.”

Commerce said in a news release, “The current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports, as Commerce has been flooded with comments from them urging its termination. This action will allow U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the marketplace. The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump administration. Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so based on factual evidence provided on the record. Commerce currently maintains 734 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade. 

“Antidumping and countervailing duty orders provide American businesses and workers with a mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of the unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties.”