Recently, I and several members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation wrote to the U.S. Department of Commerce on behalf of Florida’s tomato growers who have been hurt by unfair Mexican trading practices.
In Florida alone, a flood of below-cost Mexican imports over the last 25 years has left fewer than 20 tomato growers struggling to exist where once more than 250 had flourished.
Our letter asked Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to suspend and renegotiate the 2013 Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico.
This week, the department of Commerce notified the Mexican government that it “intends to withdraw from the Agreement on May 7, 2019.”
The Department has been investigating and will continue its investigation into tomato sales and will report its findings to the International Trade Commission to ensure fairness and no dumping of tomatoes is occurring to manipulate the market and hurt Florida growers.
This is great news for Florida’s agriculture economy that depends in large part on our vegetable produce.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.
