As excerpted from The Baltimore Sun:

George Zahradka, a third-generation farm owner in Essex, mostly sells directly from his farm stand or to nearby restaurants. With new tariffs on tomatoes from Mexico falling during Maryland’s tomato season, he’s hopeful that more people will make the switch to local produce.

“If you can grab a really good tomato or a very bland tomato for the same price, which one would you take?” Zahradka said.

Nationwide, tomato prices are expected to rise this week as the United States imposes a 17.09% import tax on tomatoes from Mexico, which Maryland farmers expect will bring some demand for locally-grown tomatoes.

The anti-dumping duty was announced on Monday, as the U.S. Department of Commerce said the country withdrew from a 2019 agreement with Mexico regarding fresh tomato sales. The Tomato Suspension Agreement, originally signed in 1996, provided some stability to the tomato market. A version of this decades-long agreement expired during President Donald Trump’s first term and was renewed in 2019, requiring tomatoes from Mexico to go under U.S. inspection and adhere to minimum prices for tomatoes.

However, the Trump administration now says that importers in Mexico are selling tomatoes at an unfair rate, also known as dumping, leading to the administration’s withdrawal.

The Trump administration is also threatening 30% tariffs on all goods from Mexico and other countries, which could start in August.

Even as farmers hope for more local purchases, food industry groups told The Baltimore Sun that the tariffs will be most felt by grocery store shoppers and restaurants, as many won’t be able to easily switch from their typical suppliers.

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In a statement, the National Restaurant Association told The Sun that American restaurants rely on a steady flow of imported produce, including tomatoes, that cannot be grown at the same level in the United States. The statement added that the association is pushing the Trump administration to “pursue policies that will secure fair trade agreements while ensuring the supply chain.”

The longstanding agreements on tomato imports have provided stability for growers and consumers, said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, which represents the Maryland Food Industry Council. The duty may also impact American jobs transporting tomatoes, she said.

“Cost increases will occur. Businesses, consumers are concerned,” Locklair said. “In grocery, a lot of pricing is out of our control, but this will impact that for consumers.”

Click here to read the full article from The Baltimore Sun.