The Trump administration's decision to slap a steep tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico sparked backlash on social media Monday.
The administration is applying a 17% tariff to most Mexican tomato imports as it ended a trade deal that previously set minimum prices for such imports. The White House said the move aims to protect domestic tomato farmers by leveling the playing field against what they see as unfairly lower-priced Mexican tomatoes.
“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,” Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, said in a statement, according to The New York Times. “That ends today. This rule change is in line with President Trump’s trade policies and approach with Mexico.”
Not everyone was happy with the decision, including the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. The organization, which represents companies that import and sell produce and flowers, said it was “disappointed” by the announcement, according to the Times. The group said its members sell tomatoes that are ripened on the vine and grown in greenhouses in Mexico. They're not replaceable by tomatoes grown in Florida and the rest of the region, where the fruits are typically grown in open fields, picked while they're green and then gassed to trigger a color change, according to the Times.
“As an industry, we are saddened that American consumers will have to pay a tomato tax, or duty, for a reduced selection of the tomatoes they prefer,” the organization said.
Democrats and others joined the group in criticizing the announcement.
Eric Martin, an international economics and security reporter, warned on X, "The great irony of Trump slapping a ~17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes is that it may to lead to lower employment in an industry of 1.5 million people -- leading more of them to seek to migrate illegally by crossing the US border. I wrote about this in 2019."
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) wrote on X, "Texans don't want Trump's tomato tax. The president promised to lower grocery prices. Instead, his latest trade 'deal' is making tomatoes more expensive for hard working families."
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) wrote on X, "Trump just slapped a TOMATO TAX on America.
Already stretched at the checkout? Get ready to pay up to 50% more for tomato products.
This isn’t tough on trade—it’s tough on working families. A tax on your dinner table."
Separately, Gallego called the tomato tariff a "tax on working people, plain and simple."Governor Katie Hobbs@GovernorHobbsPresident Trump’s reckless trade war is back.
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) wrote on X, "Leaving the Tomato Suspension Agreement means a 17% tariff hike, 50,000 threatened jobs in AZ & TX, and higher grocery prices for Arizona families. We won’t stand by while Arizona pays the price."