Trump Should End the Failed Tomato Agreement—and Put American Farmers First

For decades, American tomato farmers have been fighting an uphill battle—not against better products, but against a flood of unfairly traded imports. The U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement, meant to prevent Mexican growers from dumping artificially cheap tomatoes into the U.S. market, has never worked as intended.

Since the agreement was first signed, Mexican tomato imports have soared by more than 400% while the share of the market from American farmers has plummeted from 80% to just 30%. Across Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and California, family farms have disappeared—not because they couldn’t compete, but because they were forced to play by the rules while others didn’t.

After nearly three decades of mounting evidence and repeated violations, President Trump’s Commerce Department took decisive action to address these illegal trade abuses. They announced the termination of the agreement, and they were right to do it.

Investigations revealed that Mexican importers have been routinely selling tomatoes below the agreement’s minimum prices—dumping margins ranging from 17% to as much as 273%. These findings were confirmed by the U.S. Court of International Trade and upheld by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which unanimously ruled that U.S. tomato growers were being seriously injured by these practices.

Mexico, once again, is lobbying for a renegotiation. But this would be the sixth attempt—and every previous version has failed to deliver meaningful results. It’s the same pattern: new promises, no change, and more damage to U.S. growers. It would be foolish to believe that a sixth version would be any different. President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick won’t be fooled by Mexico.

What American tomato growers want is simple: a level playing field. Over the years, they’ve modernized operations, invested in sustainability, and supported thousands of rural jobs. But no business, no matter how efficient, can compete with foreign producers who ignore the rules and face no consequences. When trade laws are enforced, American agriculture thrives. When they’re ignored, we risk losing our domestic food supply. We’ve seen the warning signs during recent global disruptions: empty shelves, inflated prices, and an overreliance on foreign suppliers.

The decision to end this agreement—carried out under the Trump administration—sends an important message: the United States will not turn a blind eye to trade abuse. We will enforce the law and defend the farmers who feed our country.

This is not about protectionism. It’s about ensuring that U.S. agriculture has a future.

Terminating the suspension agreement is the first real step toward restoring fair competition, protecting rural economies, and preserving our ability to grow food here at home. If we fail to act, we risk outsourcing yet another critical sector to foreign interests. But if we get this right, we’ll protect jobs, rebuild supply chains, and make sure the next generation of American farmers has a fighting chance.