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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Trump tariffs: US slaps 17% duty on Mexican tomato imports; commerce department calls move fair protection for farmers
Representative Image The US government on Monday announced a 17% import duty on most fresh tomatoes from Mexico, aiming to protect and revive its own domestic tomato industry. The move comes after talks with Mexican officials collapsed without reaching a new agreement to avoid the tariff. Mexico currently supplies about 70% of the US tomato market, up from just 30% two decades ago. The new duty, which took effect immediately on Monday, is expected to raise tomato prices in the US while benefiting American growers. Supporters of the move argue that it is essential to support US agriculture. Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida tomato exchange, called the tariff 'an enormous victory for American tomato farmers and American agriculture.' The decision marks the end of the 2019 tomato suspension agreement between the two countries, which allowed Mexico to export tomatoes to the US under strict price rules and other conditions to avoid being accused of dumping, selling produce at artificially low prices. According to the US commerce department, the deal is being scrapped due to overwhelming complaints from American tomato producers who say they are unable to compete fairly with cheaper Mexican imports. 'Mexico remains one of our greatest allies, but for far too long our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes. That ends today,' said commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. However, critics say the duty will hurt consumers by driving up prices and reducing variety. 'As an industry, we are saddened that American consumers will have to pay a tomato tax, or duty, for a reduced selection of the tomatoes they prefer, such as tomatoes on the vine, grape tomatoes, Romas, cocktail tomatoes and other specialty varieties,' said Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh produce association of the Americas. Tim Richards, an agribusiness professor at Arizona State University, estimated that the tariff could push up retail tomato prices by about 8.5 per cent. Jacob Jensen, a trade policy analyst, said that areas more dependent on Mexican tomatoes may see price jumps as high as 10 per cent, while others could experience a 6 per cent rise. Business groups have also warned of other consequences. In a letter to the commerce department, the US chamber of commerce and 30 other organisations said the move could trigger retaliation from trade partners and harm industries beyond tomatoes. 'We are concerned that withdrawing from the agreement – at a time when the business community is already navigating significant trade uncertainty – could lead to retaliatory actions by our trading partners,' the letter read. Furthermore, state leaders expressed concerns. Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, and Arizona governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, had urged the government to preserve the agreement to avoid harming their local economies. The new policy aligns with US President Donald Trump's broader trade approach and comes shortly after his announcement of a separate 30% base tariff on goods from Mexico and the European Union. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Most teens — girls especially — see college as key to jobs and life skills, AP-NORC poll says
Advertisement The survey also found that many teens think it will be harder for them to achieve major life milestones, like Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up For Ry-n Uyeda, 17, the biggest concern about college is the prospect of being away from her home in Waianae, Hawaii. Uyeda is already taking college-level courses in high school and hopes to play softball at a university on the West Coast. Uyeda said she wants to develop time management skills and endurance to handle the pressures of being a student-athlete, but she hopes the college experience does not change who she is. 'I want to remember where I came from and the values that I've learned from here,' said Uyeda, who attends Waianae High School. 'Going to a new place with new people in a new environment, I just want to still be myself.' Advertisement Seven in 10 teenage girls in the survey said it was at least 'very' important to them to graduate from college, compared with 54 percent of teenage boys. The disparity reflects a growing gender gap in college degree completion. In 1995, young men and women were equally likely to hold a bachelor's degree. Since then, a gap has emerged, with 47 percent of US women ages 25 to 34 completing a bachelor's degree compared with 37 percent of men, according to Teens raised in households with higher incomes and parents who went to college themselves are also more likely to view higher education as important. Jalena Crawford, a 16-year-old high school junior, said she hopes to attend Grand Canyon University or Arizona State University to become a professional American Sign Language interpreter. She said her plans have been encouraged by relatives with college degrees, and it would be 'weird' not to consider higher education. 'I didn't really start thinking about college until I started liking ASL. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do,' Crawford said. Most teens see a college education as a vital step for their future career prospects, although they see other benefits as well. About seven in 10 teenagers said completing college is 'extremely' or 'very' important for getting good jobs, and about six in 10 teenagers said a degree is valuable for learning necessary life skills. About half of teens see college as key to either becoming a more informed member of society or forming their personal identity, according to the survey. Advertisement Teenagers have many of the same life goals as adults, such as But few teenagers believe those goals have gotten easier to achieve for their generation compared with their parents. About seven in 10 teenagers believe owning a home has become harder to achieve for them compared with their parents, according to the poll. Just over half of teenagers say it's become more challenging for their generation to raise a family. About half say that about having a good standard of living, having a successful career, or traveling the world. Fewer, about four in 10, say it's grown harder to graduate from college or be able to pursue what they enjoy. Evarist Bego, 22, graduated earlier this year from the University of Southern California with a joint degree in business and film. He said he recalls wanting to go to college and then work his way up in his chosen industry, but 'that's just not how it works anymore.' It's harder than he anticipated to find a job, which he said may be partly due to the creative industry he chose. He sees mostly temporary positions, like internships or fellowships. 'So many jobs that I see are entry-level, but then they require three-plus years of experience. I have interned in school, I had some experience, but it's not enough,' he said. The AP-NORC poll of 1,060 teens ages 13-17 was conducted April 30 to May 14, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based Advertisement
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Prices set to explode: Trump's tariffs could make your tomatoes cost more than steak — starting today
American consumers may soon face higher tomato prices due to new 20.9% tariffs on Mexican imports, potentially replacing a long-standing trade agreement. This could significantly impact restaurants and small businesses, with some fearing closure. While intended to protect US farmers from unfair competition, the tariffs are expected to increase consumer costs by 10% and decrease demand. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What's behind the sudden spike in tomato prices? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Are these tariffs really helping American farmers? What are the expected effects on tomato prices and demand? Why are Mexican tomatoes being targeted now? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What do Mexican growers have to say in response? How are restaurants and businesses dealing with the pressure? Could American farms fill the gap? FAQs If you thought your grocery bill was already high, brace yourself as tomatoes could be the next luxury item on your receipt. Prices are expected to rise across the United States as a result of new tariffs on Mexican imports, hurting restaurants, small businesses, and everyday shoppers in the produce aisle.20.9% tariffs on the majority of Mexican tomato imports could replace a nearly three-decade-old US-Mexico trade agreement on July 14, putting a strain on restaurants and raising grocery costs, as quoted in a report by tariffs on tomatoes are just one of the most recent instances of US President Donald Trump 's chaotic tariff policy. His tariffs have already disrupted international trade and left businesses unsure of how to prepare for the trade protections eroding and political tensions rising, American consumers may soon pay steak-like prices for tomatoes, and small business owners fear the worst as supply chains become unstable. Some small businesses may completely shut down as a result of higher to some US growers, the tariffs, which are intended to combat "dumping," or the practice of undercutting domestic products by selling cheap exports into a foreign market, are long may have to pay more for tomatoes at the grocery store, pizza place, and other of May 2025, US consumers paid approximately $1.70 per pound for tomatoes grown in the fields, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These tariffs could result in a 10% increase in consumer tomato prices and a 5% decrease in demand, according to Timothy Richards, an agribusiness professor at Arizona State University, as quoted in a report by to the US Department of Agriculture, the United States is the largest market for Mexican tomato exports. The department concluded that the new tariffs would probably result in fewer tomato imports and higher prices in a report released in over three decades, Mexican producers have been illegally dumping tomatoes at unfair prices into the U.S. market despite five consecutive agreements, according to a statement released by Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, which CNN went on, "I believe the trade agreement has harmed American farmers."The Tomato Suspension Agreement, which has been in effect since 1996, establishes a floor for tomato the "current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports," the Commerce Department said in a statement in April that it was leaving the agreement. The duties of 20.9% on the majority of Mexican tomato imports will follow from accusation is denied by Mexican tomato grower Walberto Solorio, president of the Baja California Agricultural Council, which represents more than 120 tomato to Solorio, minor violations by some Mexican producers haven't been enough to blow up the entire deal, he told a CNN producer."It's not a business issue, in my opinion; it's more of a political one," said Solario. "Everything suggests that, within reasonable bounds, the agreement should be upheld and that it has been carried out."Teresa Razo, the proprietor of two Argentine-Italian eateries in Southern California, stated, "I give it three months, and then we go bankrupt." She asserted that her business may fail if tomato prices increase due to new tariffs on the Mexican-grown and consumers are being greatly impacted by the tariffs on Mexican tomatoes, which are raising demand and driving up prices. While some businesses, like Appollonia's Pizza, are sourcing tomatoes from domestic growers, others, like Heinz and DiGiornio, are avoiding the tariffs by using tomatoes produced in the United some businesses might have to increase menu prices because not everyone can afford the expense of using Mexican tomatoes as is making an effort to purchase tomatoes from domestic growers, but she may have to increase menu prices if they are unable to locate US tomatoes in a timely manner. For her mental health, she has stopped watching the news every day and is waiting for the tariff to be to geographic diversity and technological advancements, American tomato growers are able to produce enough tomatoes throughout the year. If the agreement were to be terminated, Mexican producers would still be able to sell tomatoes in the United States, but they would have to abide by trade quarterly audits of Mexican imports have been conducted, and tariffs on essential ingredients like cheese have already increased costs and can cause problems in a high-stress tariffs could go into effect as early as July 14, predict that the tariffs will cause a 10% increase in consumer tomato prices.
National Geographic
11-07-2025
- National Geographic
Teotihuacan
It was massive, one of the first great cities of the Western Hemisphere. And its origins are a mystery. It was built by hand more than a thousand years before the swooping arrival of the Nahuatl-speaking Mexica or Aztec people in central Mexico. But it was the Aztec, descending on the abandoned site, no doubt falling awestruck by what they saw, who gave its current name: Teotihuacan. A famed archaeological site located fewer than 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Mexico City, Teotihuacan reached its zenith between 100 B.C. and A.D. 650. It covered 8 square miles (21 square kilometers) and supported a population of a hundred thousand, according to George Cowgill, an archaeologist at Arizona State University and a National Geographic Society grantee. "It was the largest city anywhere in the Western Hemisphere before the 1400s," Cowgill says. "It had thousands of residential compounds and scores of pyramid-temples ... comparable to the largest pyramids of Egypt." Oddly, Teotihuacan, which contains a massive central road (the Street of the Dead) and buildings including the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon, has no military structures—though experts say the military and cultural wake of Teotihuacan was heavily felt throughout the region. Who built it? Cowgill says the site's visible surface remains have all been mapped in detail. But only some portions have been excavated. Scholars once pointed to the Toltec culture. Others note that the Toltec peaked far later than Teotihuacan's zenith, undermining that theory. Some scholars say the Totonac culture was responsible. No matter its principal builders, evidence suggests that Teotihuacan may have hosted people from a patchwork of cultures including the Maya, Mixtec, and Zapotec. One theory says an erupting volcano forced a wave of immigrants into the Teotihuacan valley and that those refugees either built or bolstered the city. The main excavations, performed by Professors Saburo Sugiyama of Aichi Prefectural University in Japan and Rubén Cabrera, a Mexican archaeologist, have been at the Pyramid of the Moon. It was there, beneath layers of dirt and stone, that researchers realized the awe-inspiring craftsmanship of Teotihuacan's architects was matched by a cultural penchant for brutality and human and animal sacrifice. Inside the temple, researchers found buried animals and bodies, with heads that had been lobbed off, all thought to be offerings to gods or sanctification for successive layers of the pyramid as it was built. Since 2003, archaeologist Sergio Gomez has been working to access new parts of the complex, and has only recently reached the end of a tunnel that could hold a king's tomb. It's unclear why Teotihuacan collapsed; one theory is that poorer classes carried out an internal uprising against the elite. For Cowgill, who says more studies are needed to understand the lives of the poorer classes that inhabited Teotihuacan, the mystery lies not as much in who built the city or in why it fell. "Rather than asking why Teotihuacan collapsed, it is more interesting to ask why it lasted so long," he says. "What were the social, political, and religious practices that provided such stability?" Editor's note: This story was updated on April 17, 2025, to clarify that while the urban complex may have had connections with Maya cities, Teotihuacan was not ruled by the Maya. Archaeologists study a colossal Olmec stone head in La Venta, Mexico in this 1947 National Geographic photo. The Olmec civilization, the first in Mesoamerica, offers valuable clues into the development of the rest of the region. Photograph by Richard Hewitt Stewart, National Geographic
Roya News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Slain Palestinian child Hind Rajab nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by 'Israeli' forces in Gaza in January 2024, has been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination was submitted by Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at Arizona State University, in collaboration with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). In a statement, the ADC said the nomination aligns with the Nobel criteria of 'reducing the horrors of armed conflict, promoting unity among nations, and advancing lasting peace.' The campaign also serves as a symbolic recognition of the ongoing suffering endured by children in Gaza for over 630 days, Beydoun noted on social media. He clarified that the nomination had been in the works long before US President Donald Trump, recently nominated by 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, entered consideration. 'This nomination is a symbolic expression of the ongoing horror experienced by Gaza's children,' Beydoun said, adding that Nobel rules require nominations to be submitted by qualified academics, such as law professors. The ADC emphasized that Hind's nomination comes amid the ongoing aggression in Gaza, which continues to claim innocent lives. 'A child's life should be dedicated to growth and learning, not overshadowed by fear and violence,' the committee stated, launching a petition in support of the nomination. Hind Rajab was killed in Tel al-Hawa, southwest Gaza City, when 'Israeli' forces shelled and opened fire directly on a car in which she and six relatives were sheltering. Her death sparked global outrage and became a symbol of the toll the war has taken on Palestinian children.
