WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that its avocado inspection program in Mexico has restarted and exports to the United States have resumed.
In the announcement, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it is working with several groups in Mexico, including the U.S. Embassy, to implement measures that will ensure inspectors working in the field will be safe.
The U.S. government suspended imports of avocados last week after one of its inspectors received a threatening phone call, as we previously reported. The suspension threatened a $3 billion annual export business and raised the possibility of price increases, The Associated Press reported.
Michoacan is the only Mexican state that is certified “pest-free” and able to export avocados to the United States, The Associated Press reported. After only a week, the ban had already started taking a toll on avocado pickers in Michoacan, who were seen standing on the side of the road asking for donations, the AP reported.
In 2021, the United States imported $3 billion worth of avocados, with $2.8 billion coming from Mexico, according to the Department of Agriculture.