The Mexican government expressed its “serious concern” after learning of a preliminary ruling by the U.S. Department of Commerce that found dumping in Mexican strawberry exports throughout the winter.

The Mexican Ministry of Economy said on Tuesday night in a statement that the Commerce Department found Mexico was selling the product at a price between 3.37% and 5.28% below the normal value, depending on the company, and that it had set the average dumping margin at 4.83%.

The case originated on December 31, 2025, when Florida producers filed a petition with Commerce and the International Trade Commission requesting antidumping duties.

The move could affect nearly 5,000 Mexican strawberry growers — 97% of whom are small- or medium-scale farmers with up to 10 hectares (25 acres) of land — and 151,000 jobs linked to strawberry cultivation. In 2025, Mexico exported 263,000 metric tons of strawberries to the U.S., worth $1 billion.

Mexico said it will monitor the process alongside producers and exporters until the ITC’s final ruling, expected in early 2027, and argued the criteria used by Commerce are inconsistent with the World Trade Organization’s Anti-Dumping Agreement and with provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

(Reporting by Ana Isabel Martínez; Editing by Rod Nickel)