Mexico’s Ministry of Economy indicated that structural constraints persist in tomato production in the United States.
As a result, Mexican exports of this vegetable to the U.S. market supplement domestic demand in the United States.
U.S. Imports
U.S. imports of tomatoes from Mexico fell by 26.4% year-over-year in 2025, to $2,298 million, following five years of continuous growth.
However, from January through May of this year, U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes rose by 4.4%, to $1,226 million. This partially offset the decline seen in 2025.
The following table shows the trend in U.S. tomato imports from Mexico, in millions of dollars:
- 2018: 2,060.
- 2019: 1,958.
- 2020: 2,381.
- 2021: 2,387.
- 2022: 2,477.
- 2023: 2,713.
- 2024: 3,124.
- 2025: 2,298.
- January–May 2025: 1,174.
- January–May 2026: 1,226.
Tomato Production in the United States
The adoption of more labor-intensive farming methods and environmental restrictions have increased the vulnerability of crops to pests and related plant health issues.
In California, the situation is similar, according to the Ministry of Economy: producers also face pressures related to land use and labor shortages, in addition to persistent droughts and recurring water supply constraints.
Consequently, the Ministry of Economy concluded that while Mexican tomatoes maintain a significant presence in the U.S. market, this market share is not due to unfair trade practices, export-driven displacement strategies, or artificial increases in Mexican exports.
Rather, it is due to structural constraints and the historical inability of traditional U.S. open-field growers to consistently supply the volume, quality, and variety of fresh tomatoes demanded by the market, especially under increasingly adverse climatic, labor, and land-use conditions.
These circumstances, in turn, have led to a heavy reliance on Mexican imports by major U.S. producers and market participants.
To meet consumer preferences for a wide variety of tomatoes, the supply chain is now integrated across North America, and no single region can supply all products year-round, as mentioned during the public hearing.