AMHPAC releases statement on the termination of the TSA

AMHPAC BB #:271373 released this statement on the termination of the Fresh Tomato Suspension Agreement July 14, 2025 (translated from Spanish):

The United States Department of Commerce has unilaterally decided to terminate the Fresh Tomato Suspension Agreement from the antidumping investigation it maintained with Mexican producers and exporters, effective today.

With the termination of said Agreement, a compensatory duty of 17.09 percent ad valorem will immediately come into effect on all exports of this product from Mexico. This duty had been suspended for the past 28 years thanks to the Agreement.

The origin of this issue lies in an antidumping investigation initiated in 1996 by certain U.S. producers, who claimed that Mexican producers were engaging in unfair trade practices. It is worth noting that these producers do not represent the majority of tomato production in the United States, and that a significant portion of the domestic industry does support the continuation of the Suspension Agreement.

It is important to highlight that fresh tomatoes are a widely consumed product in the United States, with a market of 6.5 billion pounds, of which 4.3 billion pounds are supplied by Mexico, and only about 9 percent by other countries in the region. In the short and medium term, there are no countries in the world that can replace Mexican tomatoes in a market that we have built through innovation and effort over the past 120 years.

During the years the Agreement was in force, Mexican producers and exporters managed to modernize the sector and create a competitive, high-quality product that earned consumer preference. Today, 2 out of every 3 tomatoes that reach American households or are consumed outside the home are grown and produced by Mexican hands.

Although the Agreement was originally established solely between Mexican tomato exporters and the U.S. Department of Commerce, it was always supported and accompanied by the Government of Mexico. Today, we want to especially acknowledge and thank the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), the Secretariat of Economy (SE), the Mexican Embassy in the United States, and of course, the President of Mexico, for their invaluable support and commitment to the sector. Their involvement has been fundamental throughout the negotiation process.

It is important to note that in 2019, the Agreement was also terminated by the U.S. Department of Commerce; however, after four months of intense negotiations, it was reinstated. Recalling this precedent, we reaffirm our commitment to continue working in close coordination with the Federal Government, as its intervention will remain crucial to finding solutions and mechanisms to normalize this situation as soon as possible—for the survival of the national export industry, for its agricultural workers and their families, and for the entire supply chain that depends on this activity.

Finally, we emphasize that this is a resilient sector, one that has overcome trade battles that have attempted to limit its growth over time. We will continue working in an organized manner to ensure that we keep bringing the highest-quality tomatoes to the tables of North American families, and also those in Mexico and around the world, despite the obstacle of the tariff, which will inevitably affect U.S. consumers’ wallets.