For nearly every American, fresh produce is as close as the nearest grocery store or market.

Much of the continental U.S. may be locked in a winter deep freeze, but our consumers can still count on tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and more grown throughout Mexico and Latin America. In fact, Mexico alone produces nearly 40 percent of all imported fruits and vegetables consumed in North America.

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This is strength for American families and our larger economy. We’re fortunate to live in a country where produce is abundant and affordable – and the concept of “out of season” is mostly a thing of the past.

It wasn’t always this way. Many of us are old enough to remember a time when produce availability and prices fluctuated wildly with the seasons. Unfortunately, ongoing negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) now threaten to turn back the clock. We may even see a severing of the very trade deal that has kept prices low and created the unprecedented consumer choice and variety American shoppers and businesses have enjoyed for more than two decades.

Maintaining a tariff-free flow of goods creates competition on store shelves, helps keep prices low on the goods and products shoppers want and leads to greater consumer choice and variety. Withdrawing from NAFTA would equal a backdoor tax increase on American consumers, as goods would become more expensive and the overall cost of living would spike.

This would hit Americans especially hard in the produce aisle, where we would undoubtedly see sticker shock if Mexican produce is limited because of changes in U.S. trade policy. Can you imagine your grocery basket without Mexican avocados? Or limes? Or vine-ripened tomatoes in March? Are you willing to pay more if NAFTA goes away and tariffs are put back in place?

NAFTA benefits us all and impacts every aspect of our daily lives. It has created millions and millions of jobs nationwide and facilitated free and open trade with Canada and Mexico. These two nations now account for nearly half of all U.S. exports, generating more than $10 billion in annual export revenue. In my home state of Arizona, more than 230,000 jobs depend on trade with Canada and Mexico.

Still, we recognize the world is different today than it was nearly a quarter-century ago, when NAFTA was implemented. The economy is changing, and our trade deals should adapt in kind.

Going forward, we should prioritize our efforts by modernizing NAFTA to make cross-border transactions with our trade partners faster, easier and less expensive. Dismantling NAFTA altogether would be a major step backward for a trade environment that continues to benefit the U.S., Canada and Mexico – while creating jobs and helping consumers put fresh, affordable produce on the dinner table 365 days a year.

Glenn Hamer is the President & CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry.