US Finds Preliminary Dumping Margins of Up to 5.28% on Mexican Strawberries
The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily calculated dumping margins of 3.37% to 5.28% on Mexican strawberry exporters. Mexico disputes the methodology and warns that the case affects a $1 billion trade and could set a precedent for other horticultural exports.
Commerce Department calculates margins up to 5.28%
The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined that Mexican strawberry exporters sold their product in the United States at less than normal value. According to Mexico’s Economy Ministry, the calculated dumping margins range from 3.37% to 5.28%, depending on the company, while the estimated rate for most Mexican exporters is 4.83%.
The preliminary finding puts a major fresh-produce trade under scrutiny. Mexico exported 263,000 tonnes of strawberries to the United States in 2025, valued at $1 billion, the Economy Ministry said. The United States is therefore a market of substantial commercial importance for Mexican growers, packers and exporters, while Mexican supply represents a significant procurement channel for US buyers.
The case began on December 31, 2025, when producers in Florida petitioned the Commerce Department and the US International Trade Commission for antidumping duties on Mexican strawberry exports. The petition sought to distinguish winter strawberries from strawberries generally and to treat some eastern US states separately from the national market.
Mexico challenges product and market definitions
Mexico’s government expressed grave concern about the preliminary Commerce Department decision. Its objection focuses partly on the definitions used in the proceeding. In a preliminary report issued in March 2026, the ITC found no basis for recognizing winter strawberries as a product distinct from strawberries and no basis for defining a regional market instead of a national US market.
Despite those ITC conclusions, the Economy Ministry said the Commerce Department maintained both concepts in its preliminary determination. Mexico also argues that the assumptions behind the ruling are inconsistent with the World Trade Organization’s Antidumping Agreement and several provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The disagreement is important because product scope and market definition influence how injury and pricing claims are assessed. A narrow focus on winter supply or selected eastern states could produce a different market picture from an assessment covering strawberries and the United States as a whole. The available source material does not include the Commerce Department’s detailed calculation or a response to Mexico’s objections.
Final decision expected in early 2027
Mexico warned that the finding could be cited by other US producer groups in cases involving additional Mexican fruit and vegetable exports. The strawberry sector includes almost 5,000 Mexican growers, 97% of whom cultivate 10 hectares or less. About 151,000 permanent and temporary workers are employed across the supply chain, giving the investigation consequences beyond the companies directly assigned dumping margins.
The preliminary rates do not end the proceeding. Mexico’s government said it would continue participating alongside strawberry producers and exporters through the remaining stages, with a final ITC determination expected in early 2027. Until then, producers, traders and US buyers face uncertainty over the final outcome and any duties arising from it. The case will also test whether the contested winter-product and regional-market definitions survive the agencies’ final review.
