Texas International Produce Association: Keep the Tomato Suspension Agreement in place

MISSION, Texas – Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, has spoken about the repercussions Texas faces from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s intent to withdraw from the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement.

The withdrawal is slated to happen July 14.

The 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement is a trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico that suspended an antidumping investigation in exchange for price floors and inspection requirements on Mexican tomato imports. On April 14, the Department of Commerce sent out a press release announcing its intent on its withdrawal from the agreement, starting on July 14. 

According to a 2025 report from Texas A&M, the United States’ biggest exporter of tomatoes is Mexico. In 2024, Mexico generated $3.64 billion directly into the U.S. economy due tomato imports. Galeazzi said the impact the withdrawal will have on the U.S. economy will not be immediate, but around fall or winter time people may begin to feel the effects.

“The U.S. will really only have one producing region, which is the Southeast, to provide all of the tomatoes that the United States consumes,” Galeazzi told the Rio Grande Guardian. “That is when we will really see the price go up. The longer we stay out of the suspension agreement or the dumping duties are in place, the more likely the Mexican industry shifts away from growing as many tomatoes as they do, and that means that we fundamentally change the landscape of tomato availability in our country.”

Editor’s Note: Here is an interview the Rio Grande Guardian secured with Dante Galeazzi at a TIPA press conference held at GR Fresh in south McAllen:

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Galeazzi also said the withdrawal will affect the U.S. job market. He said it could affect people working in shipping offices, sales, marketing, human resources, shipping and importing companies, and distributors and wholesalers. Galeazzi said 50,000 jobs in Texas are tied to the importation of tomatoes in Texas. 

“Every grocery store in this country has tomatoes, so that is a loss for them as well, so it becomes this domino effect where many jobs begin to fall,” Galeazzi said. “The brunt of the lost jobs will be those of us on the border who work immediately adjacent in this or near the tomato industry.”

According to a TIPA press release, the withdrawal from the suspension would allow U.S. tomato producers to produce tomatoes fairly. Tomatoes are produced in about 20 states, with Florida and California being the leading states to produce tomatoes. According to a United States Department of Agriculture report released June 4, about 80 percent of U.S. tomatoes are imported from Mexico.

“There might be a few Mexican tomatoes that come across, but not the 4.3 billion pounds that we currently enjoy,” Galeazzi said. 

With the withdrawal, the U.S. would face a 20.91% duty on all imported tomatoes from Mexico.

“Now is the time to get on social media and tell people about what’s happening, now is the time to send that email or that note to your elected official,” Galeazzi said. “If we don’t act now, we could lose access to the variety, the freshness and the great affordability of fresh tomatoes that we as Americans have enjoyed.”

At the press conference, Galeazzi told reporters of his concerns surrounding the U.S. Department of Commerce’s withdrawal from the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico.

The 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico was meant to prevent the U.S. from setting anti-dumping duties on Mexican imported tomatoes. Galeazzi said the withdrawal could cause Texas to lose about 50,000 jobs. 

“This will not just affect the jobs in the stores or the industry,” Galeazzi said. “We will also have a loss of jobs in other industries that are protecting the tomato growers. This includes insurance companies, banks and truckers. All of them will feel a loss if we do not have the suspension agreement after Monday.”

He said it is important that a 90-day grace period be given to take time and devise a new suspension agreement. According to NPR, the withdrawal will cause a 21 percent duty on all imported tomatoes from Mexico. Galeazzi said prices for tomatoes could rise about 50 percent. 

“It is important that we take action today if we do not want to pay more for tomatoes in the future,” Galeazzi said.

In his remarks from the podium at the press conference, Galeazzi said that since 1996, the Tomato Suspension Agreement has “ensured a level playing field in our industry.” 

He said: “It has minimum prices, requires quality inspections for entry, and it even has rules and regulations for how you handle distressed product. This is important because it creates a level playing field for everybody in the tomato industry, growers, importers, and, most importantly, the consumers.”

Withdrawal from the Tomato Suspension Agreement will have “significant implications” for everybody involved, Galeazzi warned.

“We are urging the President and the Department of Commerce to postpone this decision, extend the review 90 days to allow for more thorough consideration. The stakes are simply too high for us to fail here,” Galeazzi said.

“We are urging that there be action that is sensible and that has long, lasting impacts. So give it time. In April, Texas A& M gave us a study that showed how important this agreement was. More than $8.3 billion of economic activity. That means, for every $1 tomatoes imported, the US receives $2.67 of economic activity. So it’s an investment for us to continue this.”

More importantly, Galeazzi said, the tomato import industry supports 47,000 American jobs.

“That’s just directly in the sector. That doesn’t include all the other jobs in the ecosystem, like banking, finances, insurance, warehouses, software, logistics, everybody, even government regulators, will be unpacked if we see this agreement go away.”

Galeazzi said Texas is the heart of the matter.

“Last year, we crossed more than 2.1 billion pounds from Texas. Roma, which is basically a new port for crossing tomatoes, crossed 200 million pounds. Third behind Pharr and Laredo. We are the community that will be most impacted when this agreement goes away.”

Galeazzi added: “Let me be clear, it is not just Texas and Arizona. It is American families that eat more than 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes every year. Do we really want to limit access to fresh fruit and vegetables? By making food less affordable, are we doing ourselves any favors? No, we’re not. Terminating this agreement will undo three decades of stability and bring about a 17% duty on all Mexican fresh tomatoes entering this country.”

In the Q&A section, veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock asked a question of state Rep. Ryan Guillen, who had spoken at the press conference. Whitlock said if Gov. Greg Abbott has signaled his support for the Tomato Suspension Agreement, which Guillen says he has, what should he tell President Trump on his visit to Texas later that day.

Guillen responded that Trump was coming to Texas to view the damage caused by flooding in the Hill County. But, Guillen said he agreed that the issue of the Tomato Suspension Agreement should be brought up. Asked by Whitlock if Texas would face an “economic tsunami” if the agreement is scrapped, Guillen said, yes, possibly.

Editor’s Note: Reporter Steve Taylor assisted with this news story from McAllen, Texas. 

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