A New Tomato Tariff Could Hit Texans Where It Hurts Most

If you love tomatoes or enjoy any of the numerous dishes made with them, there may be some bad news on the horizon. For Texans, this could impact some things we love dearly.

News reports recently indicated that a 17% tariff would be imposed on Mexican tomatoes. It doesn't sound like something that should worry the average consumer, until you start thinking about everything we eat that is made with tomatoes.

Why the 17% Tomato Tariff Matters

Tomatoes are a big business. The U.S. reportedly imports 70% of its tomatoes from Mexico. Current figures suggest that Mexico exports around $3 billion worth of tomatoes to the United States each year.

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While some are optimistic that this will be great for U.S. tomato growers, others are worried about the potentially higher prices for consumers. This is where things could get messy for those of us in the Lone Star State.

What This Means for Texas Favorites Like Salsa and Tacos

In Texas, we have a lot of dishes we love that use tomatoes as an ingredient. Think of what could happen to the price of our salsa, our guac, even our tacos if prices of tomatoes go up.

One of my favorite go-to meals that is easy and cheap to make is spaghetti. Will this wind up affecting the price of a jar of tomato sauce?

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I eat tomatoes almost daily. I use them on sandwiches, as ingredients in meals, and sometimes I love to just have a tomato with a little bit of salt on top.

With the price of groceries already being what it is, I'm not looking forward to the chance that prices of one of my favorites go up anymore.

When the Price Changes Could Hit Grocery Shelves

Reports say that we won't really start seeing the effect of these tariffs until August 1. Hopefully, this is a boon for U.S. tomato producers, as reports are suggesting, and it won't impact the rest of us as consumers too much.

If worst comes to worst, you can always plant your own tomato plants in your yard.