深观察丨在美国，番茄会成为“下一个鸡蛋”吗？

Core Viewpoint - The termination of the long-standing "Tomato Agreement" between the U.S. and Mexico has led to the imposition of a 17.09% tariff on most Mexican tomatoes, significantly impacting prices for consumers and businesses in the U.S. [1][4][6] Group 1: Impact on Consumers - The new tariff will increase costs for consumers in grocery stores and restaurants, particularly affecting items that use tomatoes, such as salads and pizzas [1][6] - The CEO of a major tomato distributor indicated that prices for tomatoes could rise by nearly 10% due to the new tariffs, which may lead to increased living costs for consumers across the U.S. [6][11] Group 2: Impact on Businesses - The new tariff threatens the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Mexican tomato farmers, with U.S. Department of Agriculture estimating a 5% reduction in Mexico's tomato exports this year [6][9] - Many U.S. businesses, particularly in the restaurant sector, are facing potential bankruptcy due to rising tomato prices, with some owners already considering menu price increases to cope with the costs [11][13] Group 3: Agricultural Sector Dynamics - Approximately 60% of fresh fruit and 40% of fresh vegetables in the U.S. are imported, with Mexico being the largest supplier [5] - The termination of the agreement is seen as a political move rather than a commercial one, with experts noting that U.S. growers may not be able to fill the gap left by reduced imports from Mexico [9][11] Group 4: Employment Effects - The reduction in tomato imports could lead to a decrease in related job opportunities, with previous reports indicating that importing and selling fresh tomatoes from Mexico supports around 47,000 full-time and part-time jobs in the U.S. [9][11]