- Donald Trump has imposed a 17 per cent tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico, raising concerns about increased prices for consumers and businesses.
- The tariffs took effect after the US withdrew from the nearly three-decade-old Tomato Suspension Agreement, with the Secretary of Commerce stating American farmers had been ‘crushed by unfair trade practices’. The Commerce Department calculated the 17 per cent import tax to measure the percentage by which Mexican tomatoes were allegedly sold at unfair prices in the US.
- The measure is expected to result in higher costs at supermarkets and restaurants, with one Californian restaurant owner predicting bankruptcy within three months.
- Mexico, which supplies about 70 per cent of US tomatoes, has refuted claims of dumping, insisting the popularity of their produce is due to its quality, and stated that substitution would be impossible.
Depends on the region. I can find about 5 on Victoria Avenue in Riverside, California alone. Farm stands are everywhere under our noses in this state and we can wind up overlooking these amenities.
In LA, back in the day, I would have been going to farmer’s markets more, which are a bit more work because they have limited schedules. Still, there are brilliant places like Super King there, that have a lot of value for the money. I also miss other specialties there like sushi-grade fish mongers, etc. There are quite a lot of options in Southern California and beyond such as Latino supermarket chains like Vallartas, Cardena’s and Northgate/Gonzalez Bros as well as Asian options like 99 Ranch Market.