How the Grinch Stole Mexico’s U.S.-Grown Christmas Trees—Again!

James M. Roberts / December 15, 2010

When the Mexican government imposed punitive tariffs last year on $2.4 billion in American products the average Mexican citizen may not have noticed.  But no more.  Try finding a U.S.-grown Christmas tree in Mexico City this week.  They are scarce since Mexico’s usual suppliers of holiday evergreens, growers in the states of California and Oregon, have been priced out of the market by a 20 percent tariff.

Oregon potato growers and Washington pear exporters are also singing the Christmas blues.  No partridges in American-grown pear trees for Mexico this year.  The Mexican government levied those tariffs in a completely transparent manner because of U.S. policy to keep a small number of well-inspected Mexican trucks off the U.S. roads and void a deal previously struck under the North American Free Trade Agreement. (more…)