BISMARCK, N.D. – Over the last three decades, domestic onion production costs have risen sharply from $1,876 per acre in 1992 to $6,438 in 2025. American onion growers operate under some of the strictest labor, safety, and regulatory standards in the world, but compete against foreign importers with far less stringent oversight, such as those based in Mexico. The outcome is unfair for domestic producers and dangerous for domestic consumers.
In 2021, Mexican onions were recalled and credible safety threats meant Food and Drug Administration inspectors were unable to conduct on-site investigations. Today, inspectors are still largely unable to conduct adequate oversight, and Mexican producers are aggressively expanding their market share. At the same time, Mexico has violated its water-sharing obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. In the five-year cycle from 2020-2025, Mexico provided less than half of the 1.75 million acre-feet of water it owed the U.S.
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Gabe Evans (R-CO-08) wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (USTR) stressing the need to level the playing field for domestic onion producers.
“We appreciate the Trump Administration’s commitment to restoring fair trade practices that prioritize American jobs and strengthen local economies,” the senators wrote. “That leadership is urgently needed as U.S. onion growers face an increasingly uneven competitive environment. Structural cost disparities, inconsistent regulatory enforcement, limited access to food‑safety inspections, and rapid agricultural expansion in northern Mexico are distorting the market and placing sustained pressure on domestic producers. We ask for your support in ongoing trade negotiations with Mexico to end these unfair practices and ensure American growers can meet domestic demand.
“We respectfully ask USTR to consider increasing duties on imported onions from Mexico,” the senators concluded. “A $5 duty per 50-pound bag of onions would most effectively offset existing cost disparities and ensure that imported onions compete under conditions comparable to those required of U.S. producers. Domestic producers stand ready to meet U.S. demand, and such a fee would stabilize the market while strengthening food safety, regulatory compliance, and fair competition within the North American produce sector.”
Cosigners of the letter include U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representatives Rick Allen (R-GA-12), Cliff Bentz (R-OR-02), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-04), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND-00), Jeff Hurd (R-CO-03), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24).
Click here for the letter.
