Mexican farmers hope to avoid U.S. tariff as new deadline looms

Tariffs on Mexico are set to start at the end of this week, meaning time is running out to come to an agreement that would once again delay them.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexican and U.S. officials have been working together ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, the day a 30% tariff on all goods from Mexico is set to start.

Sheinbaum and President Donald Trump haven’t had a call about this round of tariff threats, but they will if it becomes “necessary,” Sheinbaum told reporters Tuesday.

“In the end it’s Trump’s decision, obviously, but we hope we can come to a good agreement,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum was able to stave off across-the-board tariffs from the United States in March after a last-minute phone call with Trump. So far, Mexico has been able to avoid the worst of Trump’s tariff threats, but a 30% across the board tariff could have severe implications for the economy in Mexico.

In the Mexican state of Sonora, that tariff could hit farmers like Ricardo Ramonet hard. Ramonet exports watermelon and pecans to the United States.

“That would be an extremely difficult situation for producers,” Ramonet said.

Farmers in Sonora are already adjusting to a 17% tariff on tomatoes that went into effect two weeks ago. That tariff could cause a 5% to 10% drop in tomato exports from Mexico, experts say.

Tomatoes were the top import from Mexico into Arizona in 2024, according to data from the University of Arizona. Experts say the 17% tariff on tomatoes could affect jobs up and down that supply chain.