MEXICO CITY, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The Mexican government expressed its "serious concern" after learning of a ‌preliminary ruling by the U.S. Department of ‌Commerce that found dumping in Mexican strawberry exports throughout the ​winter.

The Mexican Ministry of Economy said on Tuesday night in a statement that the Commerce Department found Mexico was selling the product at a price between ‌3.37% and 5.28% ⁠below the normal value, depending on the company, and that it had set ⁠the average dumping margin at 4.83%.

The case originated on December 31, 2025, when Florida producers filed a ​petition with ​Commerce and the International ​Trade Commission requesting antidumping ‌duties.

The move could affect nearly 5,000 Mexican strawberry growers — 97% of whom are small- or medium-scale farmers with up to 10 hectares (25 acres) of land — and 151,000 jobs linked to strawberry cultivation. In 2025, ‌Mexico exported 263,000 metric tons ​of strawberries to the U.S., ​worth $1 billion.

Mexico said ​it will monitor the process alongside ‌producers and exporters until the ​ITC's final ​ruling, expected in early 2027, and argued the criteria used by Commerce are inconsistent with the ​World Trade ‌Organization's Anti-Dumping Agreement and with provisions of the ​United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

(Reporting by Ana Isabel Martínez; ​Editing by Rod Nickel)