Florida strawberry growers say they are facing increasing pressure from Mexican imports, and a preliminary federal ruling could give them some relief.Florida and Mexico both produce strawberries in the winter, putting the two in dustries in direct competition for the same U.S. consumers. Florida growers argue that Mexican producers have a cost advantage, while the cost of growing and harvesting strawberries in Florida keeps rising.Andy McDonald, a fifth-generation Florida strawberry grower with Sweet Life Farms, says those rising costs are putting pressure on already thin margins.The market is, just like anything else, its costing us more to do business, costing us more to grow, its cost us more to harvest, more to do everything. Cost of fuel, fertilize, he said. So, our margins are razor thin.McDonald said he is not opposed to Mexican growers competing in the U.S. market. He wants the competition to be fair.Were not trying to put Mexican growers out of business. Theres definitely a need for them, but we just want a level playing field. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently issued a preliminary determination finding that Mexican winter strawberries are being sold below fair value. The determination calls for cash deposits ranging from 3.37% to 5.28% for the companies investigated, with a 4.83% rate applying to other exporters.The investigation covers fresh and chilled strawberries from Mexico entering the United States from November through March, the same general period when Florida growers are producing their winter crop.About one-fifth of the fresh strawberries available in the U.S. are imported, and roughly 98% of those imports come from Mexico, according to USDA data CNN cited.A coalition of Florida strawberry growers brought the case, including several farms in the Plant City area, such as McDonald.For Florida, the stakes are significant. The state grows roughly 16,000 acres of strawberries, with an industry valued at about $500 million, according to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.McDonald says the economic impact reaches far beyond the farms themselves.The community benefits greatly from this industry, he said. But the trade case presents a potential trade-off for consumers. If the cost of Mexican strawberries rises because of the new duties, some of that increase could eventually be reflected in the price shoppers pay.For Florida growers, however, the goal is to make sure domestic farms can remain competitive.We want a level playing field where we can all make money, McDonald said.The Commerce Department's decision is preliminary. The agency will continue reviewing the case before issuing a final determination, and the final rate could change.The Florida Strawberry Growers Association says the Commerce Departments preliminary finding is a significant step toward relief for Florida growers.Commerces preliminary affirmative determination marks a significant step forward for obtaining relief for American winter strawberry growers against unfairly priced imports from Mexico, said Daniel Pickard, Chair of the International Trade National Security practice at Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney PC. This is only the preliminary calculation of dumping but the U.S. industry is one step closer to reaching a fair and level playing field." ...read more read less