Tomato Prices Rise 40 Percent Over Past Year
Tomato prices increased about 40 percent from a year earlier, the largest gain among items tracked in the Consumer Price Index. The increase follows the end of a duty-free import agreement with Mexico and higher shipping costs tied to the Iran conflict.
rnz.co.nzTomato prices rose about 40 percent over the past year, the largest increase among products tracked in the Consumer Price Index. The gain outpaced increases for coffee, beef roasts, and frozen seafood during the same period. 8 percent in April from a year earlier, the highest annual reading in nearly three years.
U.S. ended a duty-free tomato import agreement with Mexico last July. Mexico supplies most tomatoes sold in the United States, and imports arriving after the change faced a 17 percent tariff. 6 million in the most recent period.
Snarf’s Sandwiches, which operates dozens of stores in Colorado, Missouri, and Texas, reported the cost of a case of tomatoes rose from $27 to $93 over one year. 7 million annually for the chain. MarginEdge data showed grape tomato prices increased 65 percent in one month.
Supply chain professor Phillip Coles at Lehigh University said prices may ease later this year when domestic harvests increase.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
3 events- July 2025
U.S. ended duty-free tomato import agreement with Mexico.
1 source@ABC - April 2026
Overall consumer prices rose 3.8 percent from a year earlier.
1 source@ABC - May 28, 2026
Consumer Price Index showed tomato prices up 40 percent year over year.
1 source@ABC
Potential Impact
- 01
Restaurants may adjust menu prices or portion sizes to offset higher ingredient costs.
- 02
U.S. tomato growers may expand planting in response to higher domestic prices.
- 03
Retail produce sections could see continued price volatility through summer 2026.
Transparency Panel
Related Stories
The GuardianWHO Chief Visits DRC as Ebola Death Rate Reaches 30-50%
World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support containment of a new Ebola outbreak. The agency revised the death rate to 30-50% based on confirmed cases and recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected d…
westernjournal.comGreek National Charged in UK With Aiding Iran-Linked Intelligence Service
A 46-year-old Greek man living in Germany was charged under the UK National Security Act with assisting an intelligence service believed to be Iran by targeting a journalist at Iran International.
straitstimes.comJournalists in Gaza to Receive 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom Award
Three international news agencies will accept the award on behalf of their local staff still reporting from the territory. The World Association of News Publishers cited the journalists' continued coverage under extreme conditions.