During the winter, when other states face freezing temperatures, Florida’s warm weather provides an excellent climate for strawberries to grow.
According to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Florida produces about 15% of the country’s strawberries grown during that time of the year.
But some of that share could be eaten up by foreign imports.
According to a petition filed by a coalition of strawberry growers, Mexican strawberry imports are being “dumped” into the U.S. at extremely low prices, undermining the local market and causing prices to fall.
Daniel B. Pickard is a lawyer for the petitioners. He said this trend could be detrimental to American growers.
“Confidential data demonstrates that each year, the profitability of the domestic industry declines,” he said. “Mexico imports are increasing; they're taking market share, they're underselling the U.S.-produced product, and as a result, farmers are making less and less money.”
Court documents indicate that between June 2023 and May 2024, Mexican imports accounted for approximately 18% of the nationwide supply.
The International Trade Commission opened an investigation into the matter and is expected to announce preliminary findings on Feb. 17.
“First, the ITC will determine whether products are being sold in the United States at unfair prices,” Pickard said. “And then the other part is proving that the domestic industry has been materially injured as a result of the imports. So basically, you have to show that they're being sold at unfair prices and that it's injuring the domestic industry.”
During the investigation, the ITC will look at import volume and its impact on domestic prices and local strawberry production.
If the petition succeeds, tariffs will be applied to Mexican imports in an effort to level the playing field.
These tariffs, Pickard said, are necessary to preserve American jobs.
“There's no doubt that Mexican imports have been increasing in the United States for 20 years, and it's come at the direct expense of workers, but it's also led to multiple growers going out of business,” he said. “Unless a trade remedy is provided, I think we're going to lose more workers and farms.”
The strawberry industry is a major contributor to Florida’s economy. According to the FSGA, it has an economic impact of over $1.1 billion in Hillsborough County alone.
