WASHINGTON — 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.
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.
