US imposes a 17% duty on fresh Mexican tomatoes in hopes of boosting domestic production

KSBW ^ | Jul 14, 2025

[nickcarraway]

Most supermarkets only have Mexican tomatoes. You might have to go to a farmer's market to get something local.

[KittyKares]

It drives me nuts that I have a hard time finding American grown tomatoes. I have to read all the labels til I find one.

[Fungi]

Almost all roma tomatoes are grown in Mexico. Canada provides tomatoes on the vine and other specialty tomatoes such as cluster tomatoes. Tomatoes from the Dominican Republic were once imported until freight costs became prohibitive. This tariff should stay in place until domestic growers can plant fields, production cannot just happen overnight, it takes months and a season.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Yeah, who ever heard of tomatoes growing in July, in the summertime, in the United States of all places? The delusions of some people …

[j.havenfarm]

And they’ve all been gassed to turn them red. No flavor. A naturally ripe tomato is glorious; in my area I only find naturally ripened “heirloom” tomatoes at too steep a price. Informally I have a soils disease and insufficient light in my yard to grow them myself

[fso301]

I assume roads and houses have sprouted up on all of the old tomato farms in South Florida by now??

[jacknhoo]

“But opponents said the import tax will make tomatoes more expensive for U.S. consumers.”

__________

Only until local American farmers start seriously competing for their market share. With Mexico unable to undercut American farmers, the competition will be productive.

[BAN-ONE]

I suppose all definitions are relative.
Unless you’re deep down in a border state, how can you possibly have “fresh” tomatoes from Mexico?

My definition of fresh is less than an hour from my garden to the kitchen.

[packagingguy]

Here’s a robot picking tomatoes:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V-dV_PSArPw&pp=ygUWcm9ib3QgcGlja2luZyB0b21hdG9lcw%3D%3D

[Lurker]

“ You might have to go to a farmer’s market to get something local.”

Or my backyard.

L

[Dr. Franklin]

The Netherlands is famous in Europe for its indoor hydroponic tomato greenhouses. There is no reason to import so many tomatoes. They can be grown here.

[ArcadeQuarters]

This. Just got my first two of the season.

[cherry]

I got tomatoes growing but until they ripen I was forced to buy those awful Roma tomatoes at 99cents a pound.

[gundog]

Weirdest tomato fields I ever saw.

[metmom]

My plants won’t produce any more tomatoes with that tariff in place.

[ggboss]

I suppose they can still import canned tomatoes duty free

[gundog]

They’re not so much awful, as different.

[metmom]

Buy a plant and grow your own.

I grow mine and can them up for sauce and/or stewed tomatoes.

[metmom]

Not out in the wild.

[ggboss]

There is no reason to import so many tomatoes. They can be grown here.

Farmers may hesitate to invest in this crop fearing the tariff will be shortly rescinded.