Most of the tariffs introduced under President Donald Trump remain in place, and these duties on imports continue to influence costs in the retail market. Investopedia reports that the price of grape tomatoes at several large retailers is higher than before the tariffs took effect, indicating how trade policies filter into household food budgets.
Since mid-April, Investopedia has tracked prices of selected everyday products to monitor cost movements following the announcement of tariffs. The data shows that grape tomato prices have fluctuated week-to-week but remain above levels recorded when tracking began on April 23. As of November 19, grape tomatoes at Walmart were 4 per cent higher, Target prices were 8 per cent higher, and Amazon prices were 18 per cent higher than at the start of the monitoring period.
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The main tariff affecting imported tomatoes is a 17.09 per cent duty on most tomatoes from Mexico, effective July 14. According to the Department of Commerce, Mexican imports were deemed unfairly priced, stating that the "action will allow U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the marketplace." Mexico accounts for about 70 per cent of tomatoes supplied to the U.S., based on figures from the Florida Tomato Exchange.
Additional tariffs introduced on August 7 under the reciprocal tariff framework have had a smaller impact on tomatoes because goods compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement are exempt. Canada supplies about 12 per cent of imported tomatoes, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Other supplying countries, including New Zealand, Moldova, Ecuador, and Japan, were subject to tariffs of 15 to 25 per cent. These countries exported approximately US$173,917 worth of tomatoes to the U.S. in 2024, representing around 0.005 per cent of total U.S. tomato imports.
Last week, President Trump announced the removal of reciprocal tariffs on certain agricultural products, including tomatoes. However, this change does not apply to Mexican tomatoes, and the 17.09 per cent tariff on those imports remains in place because it is not part of the reciprocal tariff package.
Source: Investopedia
