News

Rubio stands with U.S. tomato growers in our battle against cheap Mexican imports
By Jesus Ceron
May 07, 2019
Sun Sentinel
 
Over the last couple months, Lance Jungmeyer, the head of an association in Nogales, Arizona, who represents importers of Mexican tomatoes, has been attacking Sen. Marco Rubio for supporting America’s tomato growers.
 
He has claimed that Rubio is working to provide a small group of wealthy, politically-connected, Florida tomato growers with protections from Mexican imports. The objective of Rubio’s efforts, according to Jungmeyer, is to stifle competition so that a few Florida companies can corner the U.S. tomato market.
 
I don’t know if Jungmeyer actually believes these ridiculous conspiracy theories himself, but they are lies. The truth is that cheap Mexican tomato imports have been forcing American tomato growers out of business for the last two decades. Rubio is helping us fight back.
 
This is not a story about Mexico vs. a small group of powerful Florida growers. This is a story about tomato growers — both large and small — across the U.S. fighting for survival in the face of unfair trade practices by Mexican growers.
 
In fact, it’s small American tomato growers without deep pockets and without political connections that are being hurt most by cheap Mexican imports.
 
I should know because I’m one of those small growers. I’m not a member of the Florida Tomato Exchange — the trade group that is leading the U.S. antidumping case against Mexican imports — and I have never met a politician in my life.
 
Read the rest here.