US Issues Preliminary Antidumping Duties on Mexican Strawberries

The US Department of Commerce issued preliminary dumping margins between 3.37% and 5.28% on Mexican winter strawberries, instructing US Customs to collect cash deposits from exporters including Driscoll's and Mainland Farms. The ruling threatens over US$933 million in seasonal fruit exports, affecting nearly 5,000 domestic producers and 151,000 farm workers across major growing hubs in Michoacan and Guanajuato. This trade friction escalates agricultural protectionism between USMCA partners ahead of the 2026 joint treaty review, creating financial uncertainty across North American fresh produce supply chains.

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The US Department of Commerce (DOC) issued a preliminary determination finding that fresh Mexican winter strawberries were imported into the United States at unfairly low prices between November 2024 and March 2025. Following the preliminary finding, the regulatory agency established preliminary dumping margins ranging from 3.37% to 5.28% and announced that it will continue its administrative antidumping investigation into seasonal fruit imports originating from Mexico.

In response to the preliminary ruling, Mexico's Ministry of Economy (SE) expressed "grave concern" over the decision and questioned the methodology applied by the DOC, arguing that the authority manipulated economic definitions to fabricate market injury. "The particularity of this petition is that it is based on differentiating winter strawberries from strawberries in general, as well as separating certain eastern U.S. states from the total national market," the Ministry of Economy stated. 

The ministry highlighted that in a preliminary report released in March 2026, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) concluded there were no technical grounds to define "winter strawberries" as a separate product class or to treat eastern states as an isolated regional market, yet the DOC maintained both concepts in its determination.

Dumping Calculations

The preliminary ruling establishes individual dumping margins of 5.28% for Driscoll's and 3.37% for Mainland Farms, the two primary exporters selected as mandatory respondents by US authorities due to their export volume. For all other Mexican strawberry exporters, the DOC calculated an all-others dumping rate of 4.83%. 

As part of the ruling, the DOC instructed US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to require cash deposits from importers equal to the estimated dumping margins. The provisional cash deposit requirement will remain in effect for four to six months until the ongoing administrative proceeding reaches a final determination. Unless either the DOC or the ITC issues a negative final verdict in coming months, permanent antidumping duties will be imposed on Mexican strawberry shipments.

The Mexican government warned that confirming antidumping duties would inflict severe economic damage on domestic agricultural supply chains and rural employment. The measure directly threatens nearly 5,000 Mexican strawberry growers — 97% of whom operate small and medium-scale farms of ten hectares or less — as well as 151,000 agricultural workers employed in the sector across major growing regions such as Michoacan and Guanajuato. The Ministry of Economy asserted that the assumptions underlying the US determination violate provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) under the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as key articles of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Petition Background

The current investigation stems from a petition filed by the US commercial coalition Strawberry Growers for Free Trade, represented by lead counsel Daniel Pickard, alleging that Mexican imports distorted market conditions in Florida, which produces approximately 15% of US winter strawberries. Between November 2024 and March 2025, the United States imported more than 200 million kilograms of Mexican strawberries valued at nearly US$933 million. 

Julio Berdegué, Mexico's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), warned that strawberries risk repeating the scenario faced by Mexican fresh tomatoes. In July 2025, Mexican tomatoes were subjected to a 17% antidumping duty after US authorities terminated a long-standing suspension agreement.

Mexico ranks as the world's fifth-largest strawberry producer, with over 56% of total production exported to 40 international markets. Berries represent one of Mexico's most valuable agricultural export categories, generating US$3.9 billion annually and supporting 500,000 direct jobs nationwide. 

The escalation of seasonal produce disputes arrives as Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard leads formal bilateral negotiations for the USMCA joint review. Agricultural trade remains among the most contested chapters in the treaty review, as US trade representatives push for structural mechanisms addressing seasonal produce imports, exposing North American agri-food supply chains to heightened regulatory friction.