The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has determined that there is a reasonable indication that the U.S. strawberry industry is materially injured by imports of fresh winter strawberries from Mexico that are alleged to be sold in the United States at less than fair value. The outcomes of the investigation could lead to import duties on Mexican strawberries.
Background
On December 31, 2025, the trade group Strawberry Growers for Fair Trade filed a petition with the USITC and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The petition alleges that imports of fresh winter strawberries from Mexico are sold in the United States at less than fair value and are causing material injury or a threat of injury to the domestic industry.
The investigation concerns fresh winter strawberries classified under subheading 0810.10.40 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. The determination was made under the provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930. The Commission completed and filed its preliminary determination on March 10, 2026.
Next steps
Antidumping investigations in the United States involve two agencies. The U.S. Department of Commerce determines whether dumping occurred, and the USITC determines whether the domestic industry is injured.
Now that the ITC issued an affirmative preliminary determination, the Commission is starting the final phase of its investigation. Commerce is scheduled to announce its preliminary determination on June 29, 2026. Commerce's deadline may be extended in accordance with the statute.
If the preliminary determination by Commerce is affirmative, the investigation continues to the final phase. If the preliminary determination is negative, the final phase will begin only if Commerce later issues an affirmative final determination.
The Commission's public report, Fresh Winter Strawberries from Mexico (Inv. No. 731-TA-1770 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 5713, March 2026), will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation. The report will be available by April 10, 2026; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website.
Possible outcomes
Earlier cases involving berries and greenhouse vegetables provide examples of possible outcomes.
One example is the case involving fresh tomatoes from Mexico. After the investigation found injury to the U.S. industry, exporters and the U.S. government agreed to minimum reference prices under the Tomato Suspension Agreement. This arrangement replaced duties and allowed exports to continue under defined price conditions. The agreement was terminated last year, after which import duties were introduced.
In 2021, the USITC investigated imports of fresh blueberries from Mexico following a petition from U.S. growers. After reviewing market data, the Commission determined that imports did not cause serious injury to the U.S. industry. The case was therefore terminated without trade measures.
Click here for the ITC announcement.
