The responses to the end of the Tomato Suspension Agreement are exemplary for a divided country. The CEA Alliance is deeply disappointed that the U.S. Department of Commerce chose to proceed with the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico, despite multiple U.S. agriculture and business stakeholders urging renegotiation of the agreement. At the same time, congressman Vern Buchanan is very enthusiastic.
Voice of members
"Unfortunately, the Department failed to take into account the voice of our members in the U.S. greenhouse tomato industry, which now grows more than one-third of all U.S. fresh tomatoes," said CEA Alliance Executive Director Tom Stenzel. "When the original dumping order was issued in 1996, the greenhouse sector was just beginning to grow, offering consumers better-tasting vine-ripe tomatoes compared with field tomatoes that are picked green."
Today, greenhouse tomatoes dominate the retail supermarket sector, offering tomatoes still on the vine and a wide range of specialty tomatoes with great flavors and multiple colors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that production of U.S.-grown greenhouse tomatoes increased 69% from 2010 to 2023, compared with a 49% decline in field-grown tomatoes. "U.S. consumers have voted with their dollars," Stenzel said.
"Because most high-value greenhouse growers farm in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, the termination of this agreement will cause significant damage to these growers, serving as a financial barrier to new investment in U.S. greenhouses," he said. Unfortunately, this became a political issue that was not resolved on the facts of what would be best for American businesses and consumers."
The CEA Alliance will continue to stress the critical importance of the U.S. greenhouse tomato industry. "We remain hopeful that open-field growers will reengage in discussions that could serve all parties much more effectively than this order," he said.
On the other hand, some politicians seem to disagree. Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and member of the Trade Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Trump administration and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced the termination of the 2019 U.S.-Mexico Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico:
"Today's official termination of the failed Tomato Suspension Agreement is a major win for Florida's tomato growers and American agriculture. For too long, the Biden administration ignored our calls to end unfair Mexican trade practices. I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Lutnick for their strong leadership in supporting American farmers.
"Now, we're putting American farmers first. I recently led a letter with Senator Rick Scott and 17 colleagues urging the Department to support Florida's tomato growers by enforcing America's antidumping laws after decades of unfair Mexican trade practices, and I'm grateful that the Department delivered."
Buchanan recently led a letter with Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and 17 colleagues applauding the Commerce Department's initial decision to terminate the agreement. Buchanan has championed policies that support Florida's fruit and vegetable industries and is a long-standing advocate for fair trade. He previously introduced the Defending Domestic Produce Protection Act to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat illegal seasonal dumping and Mexico's unfair trade practices.
For more information:
Vern Buchanan
Tel: +1 202 226 0828
www.buchanan.house.gov
