[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 22, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H3546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TERMINATING TOMATO SUSPENSION AGREEMENT
(Mr. STANTON asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. STANTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the
Department of Commerce's decision to terminate the Tomato Suspension
Agreement and slap a 20 percent tariff on tomatoes imported from
Mexico.
This is a political choice that directly raises prices on American
families and hurts American workers and businesses. It hits Arizona's
economy especially hard. Nearly half of all tomatoes imported from
Mexico come through our State.
This industry supports more than 22,000 jobs in Arizona, 50,000
nationally, and Trump's tomato tax puts $8.3 billion in economic
activity at risk. In fact, 136 Arizona businesses have formally urged
the Department of Commerce to preserve the Tomato Suspension Agreement:
restaurants, retailers, trucking companies, and chambers of commerce.
This is all to overturn an effective and enforceable agreement that
has been in place for almost 30 years, and it drives us away from
Mexico at a time when we should be expanding our relationship with
Arizona's and America's largest trading partner.
Ending the Tomato Suspension Agreement will lead to higher tomato
prices and shortages around the country. I urge the Commerce Department
to reverse course.
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