Greg Stanton: 'Trump's Tomato Tax' Puts $8.3 Billion Of Economic Activity At Risk

During a speech on the House floor on Tuesday, Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) spoke about President Trump's new tariffs on tomatoes.

Transcript

00:00What purpose does the gentleman from Arizona seek recognition?

00:03Madam Speaker, I ask the announcement to address the House for one minute and revise my remarks.

00:09Without objection.

00:12Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Department of Commerce's decision to terminate

00:18the tomato suspension agreement and slap a 20% tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico.

00:24This is a political choice that directly raises prices on American families and hurts American

00:30workers and businesses.

00:32It hits Arizona's economy especially hard.

00:36Nearly half of all tomatoes imported from Mexico come through our state.

00:40This industry supports more than 22,000 jobs in Arizona, 50,000 nationally, and Trump's

00:47tomato tax puts an $8.3 billion in economic activity at risk.

00:53In fact, 136 Arizona businesses have formally urged the Department of Commerce to preserve

00:59the tomato suspension agreement.

01:00Restaurants, retailers, trucking companies, chambers of commerce.

01:04This is all to overturn an effective and enforceable agreement that has been in place for almost

01:0830 years, and it drives us away from Mexico at a time when we should be expanding our relationship

01:14with Arizona's and America's largest trading partner.

01:18Ending the tomato suspension agreement will lead to higher tomato prices and shortages around

01:22the country, I urge the Commerce Department to reverse course and I yield back.