You Say Tomato, Trump Says Tariff
- Better American Media
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
American families are already feeling the strain of rising food costs—and the trend shows no sign of slowing.
According to the Consumer Price Index, beef and veal prices rose 10.6% year-over-year in June, egg prices jumped 27.3%, and coffee was up 13.4%. Overall inflation increased 2.7% compared to the previous year. Against this backdrop, any additional pressure on food staples—like tomatoes—raises fresh concern for consumers and the broader economy.
In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce terminated a long-standing tomato suspension agreement with Mexico (last renewed in 2019) and instead imposed a 17.09% tariff on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico.
Retail tomato prices are expected to rise. With some regions seeing increases of up to 10%, due to the 17.09% import tariff.
Local Jobs and Economic Impact. Over 50,000 U.S. jobs and $8.3 billion in economic activity are tied to the distribution of Mexican tomatoes, particularly in Arizona and Texas. 📎 Fox10/AP: Arizona Lawmakers Slam Tariff
Inflation Pressure Amid Broader Price Surges. The tariff was announced just before June CPI data showed steep increases in other food items: Eggs up 27.3%, Beef and veal up 10.6%, Coffee up 13.4%, Overall inflation up 2.7% year-over-year.
Supply Chain Disruption. Mexico supplies ~70% of all tomatoes consumed in the U.S., including key varieties like Roma and vine-ripened tomatoes.
Despite the administration’s claim that this tax is necessary to prevent Mexico from underpricing tomatoes, conservative leaning organizations have said this is not a concern.
“While it is true that market share for domestic producers has declined over the past few decades, it is difficult to make the case that Mexico is flooding the United States with excessively underpriced tomatoes. Notably, the TSA already accounts for this by essentially setting a minimum price for fresh tomato imports from Mexico to prevent Mexican exporters from undercutting U.S. tomato producers.”
American Action Forum