Mexico resumes its avocado exports to the USA
On 18 February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it resumed its avocado inspection program in Michoacán, Mexico, which had been suspended on 12 February. With this decision, avocado exporters from Michoacán (the only state in Mexico allowed to export avocados to the US market) can resume their exports to the US.
The decision to lift the temporary suspension followed days of intensive work between US and Mexican authorities and the Association of Avocado Producers and Packers/Exporters of Mexico (APEAM), which resulted in a security protocol to ensure the safety of APHIS inspectors in Mexico. One of these inspectors had received a threat, after refusing to certify the exports of avocados from Puebla (a state that is currently not allowed to export its avocados to the US), according to several news outlets.
Mexico is the world’s largest producer and exporter of avocados and its exports have grown exponentially over the last years. 92% of the US’ avocado imports (worth $3 billion In 2021) are imported from Mexico. Vice versa, some 80% of Mexican avocados are exported to the US.