Commerce Probes $1 Billion Mexican Strawberry Imports as Tariffs Loom for 98% of U.S. Supply
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Aug 17
Commerce Probes $1 Billion Mexican Strawberry Imports as Tariffs Loom for 98% of U.S. Supply
3 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Aug 17
Summary
August 18 is the target for Commerce’s preliminary ruling on whether Mexican growers dumped winter strawberries in the U.S., a step that could trigger antidumping duties and raise shopper prices.
Mexico supplied 98% of U.S. strawberry imports last year—worth more than $1 billion—making the market especially exposed during winter, when domestic production slows.
Florida’s Strawberry Growers for Fair Trade brought the case, arguing Mexican shipments have outpaced winter demand and taken U.S. market share through lower pricing.
Recent tomato tariffs show the consumer risk: prices were 12.8% higher last month than a year earlier after roughly 17% duties on most Mexican tomatoes, though weather also contributed.
Any strawberry tariff would break with decades of largely duty-free trade under U.S. free-trade deals, and final rates could still shift months later, as happened in an Italian pasta case cut from 92% to below 10%.