Many newly built warehouses for fruits and vegetables imported from Mexico are along Military Highway in Pharr.

The owner of one of those businesses, Pedro Camacho, said he is planning on making possible adjustments due to an expected increase in tariffs on tomatoes from Mexico. 

Camacho said the tariff increase of more than 20% that could go in effect by July 14, 2025, could also hurt customers.

“It would put us into a situation that maybe we have to stop bringing some stuff,” Camacho said.

On Thursday, a legal lobbying group brought together a local produce association and other officials in Pharr to call on lawmakers in Washington D.C. to pressure the Trump administration to back off on increasing tariffs on Mexican tomatoes.

The U.S. Commerce Department announced on April 14 it wants to withdraw from a 2019 suspension agreement on fresh tomatoes from Mexico by July 14, 2025. The commerce department argues the current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from what the department calls “unfairly priced Mexican imports.”

 According to a report from Texas A&M, importing tomatoes from Mexico has created nearly 30,000 jobs in Texas.

“If this agreement goes away, our state is going to suffer,” Texas International Produce Association President Dante Galeazzi said.

Watch the video above for the full story.