The price of tomatoes could rise if a tariff on imports from Mexico goes into effect next week.
The Trump administration announced in April that it intends to withdraw from a trade agreement between Mexico and the U.S. that kept tomato imports tariff free.
A roughly 20% tariff on tomatoes coming into the U.S. from Mexico is set to start on July 14, following complaints from tomato growers in Florida who say the amount imported into the U.S. brings down prices too much.
Julie Murphree with the Arizona Farm Bureau said the tariff could cause prices to rise.
“As of right now, while we do have greenhouses and while we are producing tomatoes, we can’t supply enough for our consumer demand,” Murphree said.
Murphree said Arizona could also lose thousands of jobs tied to the tomato supply chain.
“Including … warehousing, trucking, distribution, retail and related industries,” Murphree said. “This is particularly concentrated in the border communities like Nogales.”
The vast majority of tomatoes imported into the United States come from Mexico, making up about 91% of tomato imports in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
