The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a notice advising the trade that inspection requirements for Mexican tomatoes will begin on April 6th, 2020. The inspections will be for not only the brown rugose fruit virus, but also quality and condition defects as agreed to in the antidumping suspension agreement that was finalized in September.
This impacts all fresh tomatoes from Mexico, with the exception of tomatoes on the vine, specialty tomatoes, and grape tomatoes in retail packages of 2 pounds or less. Importers are responsible for all USDA inspection fees.
As a reminder to our clients, we encourage trucks to cross during Agriculture hours so the shipments can receive inspection. The hours for local ports are:
Buffalo Peace Bridge
Tuesday – Saturday: 24-hour coverage
Sunday & Monday: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Lewiston
Sunday –Thursday: 24-hour coverage
Friday & Saturday: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Detroit
Sunday – Saturday: 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM (no staffing from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM)
Port Huron
Sunday – Saturday: 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM