Trump escalates trade war: who is hit by the new tariffs

The United States will impose tariffs of over 20% on most tomatoes imported from Mexico, citing "unfair pricing" of shipments from that country.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Commerce said that the current trade agreement with Mexico regarding tomatoes has failed to protect American producers. As a result, the department has introduced an anti-dumping duty of 20.91% on most shipments of this product, effective July 14.

Anti-dumping duties are typically imposed after a government investigation finds that products are being sold in the U.S. at unfairly low prices. These duties differ somewhat from the broader tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump.

Mexico is the largest source of U.S. agricultural imports, supplying tomatoes, fresh berries, and other vegetables.

In recent years, the U.S. has increased its food imports. The value of these imports now exceeds exports of crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, inbound shipments of goods ranging from avocados to coffee and sugar are expected to drive the country’s agricultural trade deficit to a record $49 billion this year.

On April 2, 2025, the Trump administration officially imposed "reciprocal" tariffs that affected about 185 countries.

The minimum rate was 10% (in particular for Ukraine).

For China, the new tariff was 34%, but with the 20% tariffs against China imposed in March for its alleged role in the supply of fentanyl to America, the combined tariffs for China were 54%.

Source: Bloomberg.

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