“Florida’s Farmers Are Being Squeezed Out of Their Own Market by a Flood of Low-priced Imports from Mexico.”
Lawmakers Call for Targeted Tariff Measures to Stop Unfair Mexican Trade Practices
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a senior member of the Trade Subcommittee and Senator Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) led a bipartisan letter joined by 12 colleagues to President Donald Trump urging the administration to protect Florida farmers from unfair Mexican trade practices that have triggered a surge of low-priced fruit and vegetable imports devastating the state’s produce industry and putting thousands of American jobs at risk.
The lawmakers are urging the administration to negotiate temporary tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for fruits and vegetables as part of the upcoming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Joint Review. The letter highlights the severe harm Florida growers are facing from escalating imports of low-priced Mexican produce and calls for targeted trade measures to protect American farmers and strengthen the nation’s food security.
“Florida’s farmers are being squeezed out of their own market by a flood of low-priced imports from Mexico,” said Buchanan. “Unfair Mexican Trade Practices are putting American farms, jobs and our national food supply at risk. The administration has an opportunity during the USMCA review to restore balance and stand up for Florida growers by implementing targeted tariff-rate quotas that ensure our farmers can compete on a level playing field.”
“For too long, Mexico has taken advantage of trade agreements in ways that put Florida growers at a disadvantage—harming the industry and our farmers,” said Moody. “That’s why I’m co-leading an effort to ensure U.S. trade policies support American agriculture, protect Florida farms and keep our state growing.”
“We write to express our deep concern about escalating imports of low-priced fruits and vegetables from Mexico, which are causing dire harm to our produce growers in Florida,” write the lawmakers in the letter. “We urge the Administration to act decisively during the upcoming USMCA Joint Review to safeguard Florida’s produce sector and our country’s vital U.S.-grown fruit and vegetable supply.”
Florida’s fruit and vegetable growers have faced mounting losses in recent years as imports from Mexico have surged. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida’s share of the fruit and vegetable market has fallen by nearly 50 percent over the past two decades, while Mexico’s share has increased by more than 200 percent.
The lawmakers are calling on the administration to use the USMCA Joint Review to establish seasonal, product-specific tariff-rate quotas, which would allow continued trade while preventing damaging import surges during Florida’s peak harvest months. The letter notes that these targeted measures would help restore market balance, preserve American agricultural jobs and protect the long-term security of the nation’s food supply.
Joining Buchanan and Moody in signing the letter are Reps. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), John Rutherford (R-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.) and Daniel Webster (R-Fla.).
This letter is endorsed by the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.
“Florida growers urgently need the Administration to establish seasonal, product-specific tariff rate quotas (TRQs) to effectively limit imports of fruits and vegetables from Mexico,” said Mike Joyner, President of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association. "We are grateful to Congressman Buchanan and the entire Florida Congressional Delegation for their leadership in urging the Administration to use the USMCA Joint Review process to achieve these TRQ measures. Without these targeted safeguards, we risk undermining our nation’s food and national security.”
Buchanan has championed policies that support Florida’s fruit and vegetable industries and is a long-standing advocate for fair trade. He previously introduced the Defending Domestic Produce Protection Act to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat illegal seasonal dumping and Mexico’s unfair trade practices.
Read the full letter here or below:
Dear Mr. President:
We write to express our deep concern about escalating imports of low-priced fruits and vegetables from Mexico, which are causing dire harm to our produce growers in Florida. This harmful import trend, which began under NAFTA and continues under USMCA, has put at risk Florida’s entire produce industry and America’s access to U.S.-grown fruits and vegetables during the fall to spring months of the year. We urge the Administration to act decisively during the upcoming USMCA Joint Review to safeguard Florida’s produce sector and our country’s vital U.S.-grown fruit and vegetable supply.
Despite USMCA’s promise to boost trade fairness and economic prosperity for American interests, unchecked imports of low-priced Mexican produce are causing growing losses in sales, market share, and jobs for our Florida growers. According to the October 2025 report by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida’s market share in the fruit and vegetable industry has fallen by nearly 50% over the past two decades while the Mexican industry’s share has surged by more than 200%. Between 2004 and 2024, despite growing U.S. consumption, numerous Florida produce sectors have sustained catastrophic market share losses: 73.4% for bell peppers, 54.4% for tomatoes (rounds), 52% for blueberries, 74.3% for cucumbers and 26.3% for squash.
Mexico’s growing market dominance at the expense of Florida growers has caused our state to lose an estimated 14,000 jobs and sustain annual economic damage of between $570 million and $1.14 billion. The reduction of Florida’s agricultural land base, a permanent and irreversible effect, adversely impacts not only our state but the long-term food security of the entire nation.
We commend your Administration for repeatedly stressing the importance of safeguarding America’s food security, including in the fruit and vegetable sectors, to protect our national security interests. We also commend Ambassador Greer for making clear in his USMCA Joint Review “Opening Statement” that the Administration will not consider the Joint Review to be a success unless it resolves the import harm being caused to our growers by Mexican seasonal produce. We share the view that concrete, effective trade measures are urgently needed during the Joint Review process to sustain our Florida industry.
We therefore urge the Administration, within all applicable rules and regulations, to use the Joint Review process to implement seasonal, product specific tariff rate quotas (TRQs), as requested by our Florida industry. Targeted TRQs will allow for continued trade while preventing import surges that jeopardize the viability of domestic production during Florida’s peak harvest months. We believe these measures are essential to restoring market balance and preserving our nation’s fruit and vegetable production for generations to come.
We appreciate your attention to this urgent matter and stand ready to work with your Administration to achieve the trade measures our Florida industry critically needs. Thank you for prioritizing the wellbeing of America’s farmers and food supply.
Sincerely,
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