Daniel González Delgadillo
La Jornada newspaper
Monday, April 21, 2025, p. 13
Waiting to be summoned by the United States government, representatives of the Jitomatera industry in Mexico, they said they were ready to negotiate, with support of the federal authorities, to avoid the application of a compensatory fee of 20.91 percent to exports, confirmed the commission for the investigation and defense of vegetables (IACHR).
Mario Robles Escalante, director of the organization, presented to this newspaper that the guild does not know the reasons for the United States government to want dumping. Until now, he added, there is no clarification from the Commerce Department of that country, after the notice of April 14.
To break the agreement, he stressed, the protocol establishes that one of the parties has to notify the other about this decision, after which they would enter a 90 -day negotiation period.
If the compensatory fee of 20.91 percent was applied, there would be A strong impact
In the export of the tomato, equivalent to about 3 billion dollars, about 2 million tons and direct and indirect employment of approximately 950 thousand people in the country.
Mario Robles Escalante pointed out that in the past the parties adjusted details such as the minimum export price – now of $ 8.30 for boxes of 11 kilos -, higher quality standards or the adhesion of 700 Mexican producing organizations to the pact.
Likewise, the leader reported that in the negotiations the participation of the Confederation of Agricultural Associations of the State of Sinaloa is planned-to which the IACHR belongs-, the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture, the Agricultural Council of Baja California, the National Tomato Product System and the Association of Huqui-May Vegetable Producers.
