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BORDER ECONOMY GOVERNMENT / Modified feb 4, 2025 9:32 a.m.

If tariffs hit, price of tomatoes will likely increase 25%

The White House announced that the president will impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada starting Saturday, a move some experts consider unprecedented since NAFTA's creation in the mid-90s. by Danyelle Khmara

MariposaPortCBP4 produce-spotlight Produce inspected at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Az. (2015)
Fernanda Echavarri, AZPM

Southern Arizona importers are bracing for the effect of tariffs put in place on Mexico, Canada, and China by President Donald Trump.

Matt Mandel with SunFed, a significant importer of fruits and vegetables, says the tariffs are ultimately a tax on consumers.

"The fresh produce industry has always worked on razor-thin margins, so a 25% tariff is not something that could be absorbed either by the growers or the producers of the fresh fruits and vegetables that Americans have come to enjoy on a year-round basis," he said.

Mandel says the cost of many vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocados, will increase by at least 25% but so will many other popular Mexican imports, such as alcohol.

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