Tomato prices to rise if U.S-Mexico trade agreement ends, study says

Retail prices for tomatoes may double if a trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico ends, according to a study released Thursday by a tomato importing group.

The possible price hike is the result of a brewing trade war between Florida tomato growers who accuse their Mexican counterparts of “dumping,” or selling their tomatoes below fair market value.

U.S. growers, represented by the Florida Tomato Exchange, have been lobbying to end a 17-year-old trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, which sets a minimum price for tomatoes.

According to the study, released by the Fresh Produce Assn. of the Americas, prices for various tomato varieties will rise between December and May if Mexican imports are excluded from the U.S. market.

Grocery shoppers will be hit with sticker shock when picking out various tomatoes, the study reports.

The price of hothouse round tomatoes, for instance, is projected to rise from $2.02 per pound to almost $4 a pound. Roma tomatoes would increase from $1.25 per pound to $3.96 per pound.
[link to www.latimes.com]