Mexico blindsided by new US tomato tariff: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

 

President Claudia Sheinbaum discussed during her Tuesday morning press conference
The United States’ proposed 21% tax on Mexican tomatoes and changes at the National Migration Institute were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum discussed during her Tuesday morning press conference. 

The United States’ proposed tariff on Mexican tomatoes, a change of leadership at the National Migration Institute and the need to keep deportee reception centers open were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Tuesday morning press conference.

Here is a recap of the president’s April 15 mañanera.

 

‘That’s wrong’: Sheinbaum hits out at US for not notifying Mexican government about tomato tariff

During her Q&A session with reporters, Sheinbaum turned her attention to the United States government’s announcement on Monday that it intends to impose duties of almost 21% on imports of most tomatoes from Mexico starting in July.

“About tomatoes, it’s important that this is known,” she told reporters.

“The Mexican government wasn’t notified, not through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of the Economy or the Ministry of Agriculture,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the U.S. government only told the U.S.-based lawyers of Mexican tomato producers about its intention to terminate a six-year-old bilateral agreement and impose duties on Mexican tomatoes.

“That’s wrong. They should have notified the Mexican government as well,” she said.

Sheinbaum denied that Mexican tomato growers are dumping the fruit in the United States.

“Some United States producers complain that the price of Mexican tomatoes is lower,” she acknowledged before declaring that the Mexican government isn’t subsidizing Mexican growers. “There is no dumping,” Sheinbaum said.

Like Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué, the president expressed confidence that Mexico will succeed in having the proposed duties on Mexican tomatoes averted or suspended.

Whether the duties are imposed or not, Mexico will continue exporting tomatoes to the United States, Sheinbaum said.

She also said that Mexico could impose duties on imports of chicken and pork legs from the United States, products for which Mexico has active antidumping investigations.