A new tariff that just went into place Monday could impact the price of a fruit many of you at home probably enjoy: tomatoes.
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a 20.91% tariff is now in place on most imports of tomatoes from Mexico.
According to several studies, about 70 - 86% of U.S. tomatoes come from Mexico, and the USDA says the U.S. takes in nearly 93% of the tomatoes Mexico exports.
This means the majority of tomatoes in the U.S. could be impacted by the tariff, affecting grocery stores and restaurants all around our valley.
I spoke to a local restaurant owner concerned about the future.
“I mean, I feel helpless," said John Simmons, the chef and owner of Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar and Tacos & Beer. "I mean, there’s nothing I can really do.”
I asked him how many dishes and products he has at his restaurants that use tomatoes.
“Oh man, almost everything. Tomatoes are in the pico de gallo, Mexican rice, this is a Guajillo Sauce, this is tortilla soup. All this stuff has tomatoes," he said.
When he heard about the new tariff, he was concerned with retaining customers and his profits.
“I’m going to try and maintain my prices as much as I can, but I’m always looking at my bottom line. I’m looking at my food costs, I’m looking at my sales. The thing with tomatoes, there’s no substitute," Simmons said.
This is just a tariff on tomatoes, but it's not linked to the recent 30% tariffs announced by President Trump on the European Union and Mexico, which will go into effect next month.
Simmons worries it will all add up.
“If there’s this 21% increase now and later the 30% increase, I mean that’s a big increase," he said.
He says if his prices have to go up, he'll try to raise them incrementally, taking on some of the tariff impact himself.
As for the price of tomatoes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows tomatoes grown in a field cost on average $1.71/lb in May 2025. That price is expected to go up.
I did a little price comparison on markets around the valley, and I found there are still good deals right now.
Mariana's Supermarket has one pound for $0.79, Smiths is at $0.99 a pound, and Walmart is at $1.28 a pound for Roma tomatoes, which are all below the national average.
The U.S. Department of Commerce says this tariff will allow U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the marketplace.
