Mar 14, 2022

Florida tomato growers bolstered by decision on imported product

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement March 11 after the U.S Department of Commerce rejected a request by importers of Mexican tomatoes to exempt certain greenhouse-grown specialty tomatoes from the 2019 U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement, which provides critical relief to domestic tomato growers against unfair trade practices.

Exempting specialty tomatoes grown in Mexico from the Tomato Suspension Agreement would have directly harmed Florida growers. On March 4, 2022, Rubio was part of a bipartisan members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging Commerce to protect domestic growers by rejecting the request.

“This is a win for Florida tomato growers,” Rubio said, in a news release. “Florida’s economy and our national food security depend on robust domestic fruit and vegetable production. We must do everything we can to protect Florida’s growers from unfair trade practices.”

“The Florida Tomato Exchange applauds the Commerce Department’s refusal to allow loopholes in the antidumping suspension agreement covering tomato imports from Mexico,” said Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange. “The Commerce Department needs to follow up this decision with strong action to prevent cheating by Mexican exporters that undermines the suspension agreement.”