• Donald Trump has imposed a 17 per cent tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico, raising concerns about increased prices for consumers and businesses.
  • The tariffs took effect after the US withdrew from the nearly three-decade-old Tomato Suspension Agreement, with the Secretary of Commerce stating American farmers had been ‘crushed by unfair trade practices’. The Commerce Department calculated the 17 per cent import tax to measure the percentage by which Mexican tomatoes were allegedly sold at unfair prices in the US.
  • The measure is expected to result in higher costs at supermarkets and restaurants, with one Californian restaurant owner predicting bankruptcy within three months.
  • Mexico, which supplies about 70 per cent of US tomatoes, has refuted claims of dumping, insisting the popularity of their produce is due to its quality, and stated that substitution would be impossible.
  • thesohoriots@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    He probably thought he was throwing tariffs on Italy. “Don’t get me wrong folks, I love Sbarro…”

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Buy local, and buy seasonal. That’s just as important, because if you’re shopping for avocados in Milwaukee in November, those fuckers have traveled a long way and was picked a long time ago. You might not live in a climate that has oranges or strawberries year round. Accept this and choose food that doesn’t have a swollen climate footprint.

      Also eat free-range billionaires. Eating one billionaire would do more good for the climate than every other change you and 300 of your friends could make.

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        6 months ago

        Not eating anything except local produce might get you winter scurvy in some places.

        But you have a good sensible point about the billionaires.

        • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          There are plenty of sources of vitamin c that are available in the winter. Broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts are all available in colder climates well into fall and winter. Sailors would get scurvy from eating fish and cured meat and drinking only ale and water for months at a time. Malnourished children get scurvy because of neglect. It’s not that hard for adults with access to fresh food and sufficient economic freedom to get enough vitamins.

        • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          6 months ago

          One word: cabbage.

          Two words: yummy cabbage.

          Many words: I actually agree with you in general, I just love cabbage which, on top of many other benefits, is SUPER high in vitamin C and excellently suited for climates where not much grows in winter🙂

          • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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            6 months ago

            I approve of cabbage but I’m not delighted with most of the recipes I’ve used. Got something really different? And please, my body can’t tolerate much capsaicin so don’t lean into heavy 🌶️. Other spicy spices are fine.

          • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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            6 months ago

            I’m lucky enough to live in SoCal, I have tomatoes and blueberries and lemons and miner’s lettuce in pots on my balcony year-round. And I make lovely strawberry jam, but I’m well aware that the boiling necessary for preservation destroys most of the Vitamin C.

      • syl@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        6 months ago

        Pretty much every major city in the US. I’ve been to farmer’s markets in multiple red cities and multiple blue cities.

        Though, in some cities, they’re only open half the year because of weather conditions in the other half.

  • The_v@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    For those that don’t know for fresh market tomatoes.

    Indeterminate tomato vines can be grown for years if they don’t freeze.

    Mexico has invested heavily in greenhouses, high tunnels and thrip-proof net-houses. These allow for year round production of tomatoes. This was done with government money.

    Canada has also invested heavily in greenhouses to grow tomatoes and produce them year round. This was also done with government money.

    Meanwhile the U.S. focused on open field machine harvested sauce tomatoes controlled by massive corporations. There are still some U.S. tomato growers that rely almost 100% on immigrant labor. In general they produce 1/10th the tonnage per acre at higher cost even with the cheap labor.

  • Ann Archy@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    The real reason for all of this is he wants to disenfranchise the poor and destitute to the point where they have no choice but join the army to get food and healthcare.

    They are force feeding the machine.

    You know why they need that? Because a BIG WAR is coming.

    • Match!!@pawb.social
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      6 months ago

      they haven’t figured out what the big war will be but they’re working as hard as their fat ceo asses will let them

  • hark@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    That 17% tariff will magically turn into 200% price increases thanks to algorithmic price fixing.

  • Cyv_@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 months ago

    I’m so glad I accidentally over planted tomato seeds now. I’ll have to give some extras to our neighbors, we really only have a little patio to put stuff on or the apartment flips out.

    • rumba@lemmy.zip
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      6 months ago

      You can have hydroponic cherry tomatoes indoors in 90 days.

      The initial setup needs lights and aquarium air pump some rock wool tomato seeds and a couple of 5 gallon buckets and a little hydroponic fertilizer.

    • swelter_spark@reddthat.com
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      6 months ago

      My neighbors have some really good-looking Roma tomatoes out front. They’ve had a good crop this summer. I’ll bet they taste a lot better than the ones from the grocery store, too.

  • crankyrebel@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    6 months ago

    Trump probably hasn’t eaten a vegetable his whole life. Now if it was an increase on a KFC bucket of chicken, this would not happen.