U.S. Tomato Prices Hit Record $2.69 a Pound as 17% Tariffs and Weather Squeeze Supply
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · May 29
U.S. Tomato Prices Hit Record $2.69 a Pound as 17% Tariffs and Weather Squeeze Supply
9 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 29
April data showed U.S. tomato prices up nearly 40% from a year earlier, reaching a record average of $2.69 per pound and outpacing the 17% rise in overall food costs.
A 17% U.S. tariff on Mexican tomatoes after Washington quit a three-decade duty-free import deal has amplified the shock, with tariff collections jumping from $16,424 in 2024 to nearly $4.6 million.
Mexico supplied nearly 90% of U.S. tomato imports in 2025, leaving prices highly exposed as bad weather and disease cut output in Mexico and Florida and tightened supplies.
The Iran war has added another cost layer by lifting oil and diesel prices, making refrigerated truck transport more expensive and pushing tomato costs higher than many other produce items.
As tomato prices quadruple, are Americans being forced to sacrifice healthy eating for affordability?
With tariffs and global crises hiking food costs, can new farming tech solve America's tomato problem?