The organizational structure of the North American fresh tomato market: Implications for seasonal trade disputes

Primary data collected from grower-shippers of fresh tomatoes in California, Florida, and Mexico reveal considerable heterogeneity among firms. Many firms which are extending their shipping seasons outside traditional seasons must have access to land in diverse geographic areas through ownership and contracts. Besides attempting to be low-cost producers, some firms compete by differentiating their products. The extended shelf life tomato from Mexico is one such differentiated product which has garnered higher FOB prices relative to Florida tomatoes. The implications of heterogeneous firms for trade disputes have not been considered in recent deliberations concerning Florida- and Mexico-based tomato growers.