Mexico is facing significant concerns as the U.S. Commerce Department’s recent call for antidumping tariffs on Mexican strawberries could threaten decades of duty-free trade between the countries. This move, which Mexico argues violates international standards, has the potential to impact approximately 5,000 strawberry producers in the country, 97% of whom are small or medium-sized farmers, relying on this income for their livelihoods.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard expressed serious apprehension regarding the preliminary findings from the U.S., which claim that Mexican strawberries are being sold at prices up to 5.28% below fair market value. Such accusations, if proven, could categorize Mexican sales as unfair trade practices. However, Mexico’s Economy Ministry contends that these U.S. criteria are “arbitrarily applied” and inconsistent with the established provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The case traces back to a request made on December 31, 2025, by Florida strawberry producers who urged the U.S. to impose antidumping duties based on the differentiation between “strawberries” and “winter strawberries,” harvested from November to March. Interestingly, the International Trade Commission (ITC) previously ruled that there was insufficient basis for recognizing winter strawberries as a separate product, although this finding was preliminary and hasn’t concluded the ongoing proceedings.
Should the proposed tariffs be enacted, they would jeopardize 151,000 jobs tied to the strawberry industry in Mexico. Last year, the country exported 263,000 metric tons of strawberries to the United States, generating revenue of around $1 billion. Conversely, U.S. strawberry producers argue that they cannot compete with the prices at which winter strawberries are sold from Mexico.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned that this determination by the U.S. could create a precedent, prompting further challenges against other Mexican agricultural exports by differentiating products based on seasonal availability. In fact, U.S. Department of Agriculture data reveals that Mexico supplied 98% of U.S. strawberry imports last year and is the fifth-largest strawberry producer globally.