What's the Tariff on Flowers (Cut)?

Cut flowers represent one of the most geographically concentrated import dependencies in US agriculture. Colombia and Ecuador together supply over 75% of all cut flowers sold in the United States, a trade relationship built on equatorial altitude, cheap labor, and preferential trade agreements dating to the 1990s drug war era. The Andean Trade Preference Act originally granted zero-tariff flower imports as an economic alternative to coca cultivation — a policy that successfully transformed Colombia's agricultural economy. The 16.8% combined tariff now threatens to unwind decades of counter-narcotics trade policy. American flower production collapsed decades ago: only 20% of flowers sold in the US are domestically grown, primarily California roses and Hawaiian orchids. The tariff hits hardest around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, when import volumes spike 300% and consumers face both higher prices and potential shortages.