US sets preliminary antidumping margins of up to 5.28% on Mexican strawberries
The US Department of Commerce has assigned preliminary antidumping margins of 3.37% to 5.28% to Mexican strawberry exporters. The rates determine cash deposits during the investigation but may change before the final rulings expected around the end of 2026 or early 2027.
Company-specific margins replace earlier sector rate
The US Department of Commerce has established preliminary antidumping margins of up to 5.28% on strawberries imported from Mexico, adding a new financial requirement for shipments while the trade investigation continues. Portalfruticola.com reported that Driscoll’s received a margin of 5.28%, Mainland Farms 3.37%, and other exporters 4.83%. The company-specific calculations replace the 18.32% sector-wide margin reported in February 2026 for purposes of the current preliminary stage.
The percentages determine cash deposits or guarantees collected on each covered import transaction. Juan José Flores, director general of Mexico’s National Association of Berry Exporters, Aneberries, told Portalfruticola.com that the amount depends on the applicable company margin and the value of each shipment. It is therefore not a fixed charge. Flores stressed that the deposits are provisional, are not final antidumping duties and could be revised or refunded depending on the investigation’s outcome.
Winter market dispute moves to verification
The case centers on the US winter strawberry window. California’s harvest, the largest in the country, falls sharply during this period, bringing production from Florida into closer competition with Mexican fruit. Florida growers allege that Mexican strawberries enter the market at prices below production cost, allowing the Mexican sector to expand and generate more than US$200 million in revenue.
Strawberry Growers for Fair Trade filed its complaint with the US International Trade Commission in December 2025, alleging material injury to the domestic industry. A provisional decision in February 2026 found reasonable grounds to believe Mexican fruit was competing unfairly. Following the Commerce Department’s latest determination, its analysts are expected to examine the accounting records supplied by Driscoll’s and Mainland Farms in Mexico. Both sides will then have another opportunity to submit arguments, proposed adjustments and technical documentation.
Final outcome could reshape winter supply terms
A final decision in the case is scheduled for January 4, 2027, according to Portalfruticola.com, while Aneberries said the Commerce Department’s determination is expected in late 2026 or early 2027. The International Trade Commission would subsequently decide whether the US industry suffered injury. Daniel B. Pickard, lead counsel to the Florida growers’ coalition, said verified information could push the final margin above the initial level and possibly into double digits. Mexican industry representatives emphasized that the calculations may also move in the other direction.
If the case proceeds to a final commission vote, it could produce an antidumping order renewable in five-year periods. Another possible outcome is a suspension agreement under which producers undertake not to sell fruit in the United States below an agreed market price. Aneberries and the Baja California Agricultural Council have advised exporters to coordinate closely with US importers and customs brokers because deposits apply shipment by shipment. For now, the measure does not impose an import quota or an additional market-access restriction. Its immediate effect is to tie up working capital and increase compliance requirements during a commercially important winter window.
