Department of Commerce: Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico (August 30, 2012)

On behalf of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI)1 , I am writing to express our support for the antidumping suspension agreement with Mexico’s tomato growers/exporters and to urge you to address any concerns the domestic industry might have within the context of updating the current agreement. For the last 16 years, the suspension agreement has brought stability to a market that was previously distorted by trade disputes and cross-border maneuvering. FMI is concerned that any effort to revoke the agreement would result in a decrease in the tomato supply and a subsequent increase in retail prices at the very time American consumers are already struggling with renewed food price inflation from the current drought.