The Coming Tomato Shock: Why Washington’s Trade War Will Crush Your Grocery Budget

A 10% Tomato Price Hike—And That’s Just the Beginning If you think your grocery bill is already punishing, brace yourself: the price of fresh tomatoes is about to jump, thanks to Washington’s heavy-handed trade brinkmanship. NatureSweet, one of North America’s largest tomato distributors, has confirmed it plans to raise prices by nearly 10% if the Commerce Department follows through on its plan to terminate the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico on July 14. That agreement, a convoluted truce first brokered in 1996, allowed Mexican growers to avoid steep tariffs in exchange for minimum pricing and labeling rules. Without it, a 20.91% duty will slam every pound of Mexican tomatoes crossing the border. NatureSweet: “There’s No Scenario Where We Can…