U.S. Pressure on Mexico’s Tomato Exports

We read with interest your Oct. 21 editorial, “Tomato Stew.” We agree with you on most issues raised. However, there are some ideas about the Mexican govern- ment’s position that we believe need to be clarified.

The editorial indicates that the Mexican government agreed to market tomatoes at no less than 20.68 cents a pound. We wish to emphasize that the government of Mexico is not a party to the tentative agreement negotiated between the U. S. Department of Commerce and representatives of the Mexican tomato growers. This procedure, which takes place exclusively between exporters and U.S. authorities, and is designed to suspend a dumping investigation, is recognized under U.S. trade law and the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The government of Mexico has supported the Mexican tomato industry in defending its market access rights throughout the last two seasons. We have expressed our concerns about the manner in which the overall anti-dumping investigation has been conducted.

Worrisome issues include the period of investigation selected by the Department of Commerce that, by not considering costs and prices of the major Mexican growing season as a whole, cannot possibly be the basis for a reasonable dumping analysis; the relatively little evidence assembled to initiate the investigation; the refusal, without a fair explanation, to accept Mexican respondents who requested to become part of the investigation voluntarily.

The existence of a tentative agreement between the growers and the U.S. does not in any way decrease our concern about this case and the precedent it may set. For that reason, throughout the process and to the present, we have reserved our right to pursue the WTO dispute settlement process started Aug. 21, as well as any other legal processes applicable.

LUIS DE LA CALLE

Embassy of Mexico

Trade Office, Washington

* As tasteless as The Times perceives Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor’s pressuring of the Mexican government to boost its price of export tomatoes (so that the Florida tomato crop would sell at inflated prices), I must point out that most of the tomatoes available in the supermarkets are equally tasteless. I would really like to make my choice of which tomato to buy based upon edibleness, not by NAFTA and U.S. price-fixing.

MARIA DENKER

Studio City