Torres: Tomato Suspension Agreement must be kept in place

PHARR, Texas – Ellie Torres is a county commissioner for Precinct 4 in Hidalgo County. Torres spoke at a recent press conference held at a cold storage facility in south Pharr. At the conference she made the case for the Tomato Suspension Agreement. 

The agreement, which has been in place for nearly three decades, has to be ratified in Congress every few years and when it comes up for renewal, tomato growers in Florida always try to have the agreement quashed. 

Now, the U.S. Department of Commerce has signaled its intention to withdraw from the agreement. 

Torres says this would be disastrous for importers of tomatoes from Mexico and consumers throughout the country. 

The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service secured an in-depth interview with Torres at the press conference. 

Here is a video recording of the interview:

USDA explains the Tomato Suspension Agreement

From the USDA website:

The Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico, also referred to as the Tomato Suspension Agreement (TSA), between the Department of Commerce (DOC) and signatory producers/exporters of fresh tomatoes grown in Mexico ensures that signatory producers and exporters sell Mexican tomatoes at or above the TSA reference price to eliminate the injurious effects of exports of fresh tomatoes to the United States. The Agreement, which was updated effective September 19, 2019, applies to all fresh and chilled tomatoes except tomatoes for processing.

The TSA provides for mandatory inspections at the border and voluntary inspections at destination. At the border, USDA will inspect all Round, Roma, and Grape tomatoes in bulk (excess of 2 pounds).  At destination, USDA may inspect all tomatoes covered by the TSA upon request. 

The Agreement also provides for appropriate price adjustments at destination based on the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The TSA is separate and apart from Section 8e and does not affect Section 8e import requirements for tomatoes.

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