U.S. Lifts Halt on Michoacán Avocado Exports

Avocado exports from Mexico’s Michoacán state to the United States have restarted after U.S. authorities lifted a security alert that temporarily halted shipments. The suspension lasted about eight days, during which orchards and packing plants were largely unable to operate for export. With the alert now removed, packing houses and orchards have resumed normal activity geared toward the U.S. market.

U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors have returned to packing plants in Michoacán to certify fruit bound for the United States. Their presence is essential for exports, since shipments to U.S. buyers require official inspection and certification before leaving the region.

Mexican authorities have taken steps to reinforce security in Michoacán’s avocado-growing zones in response to the earlier disruption. More than 1,500 soldiers and National Guard members have been deployed to patrol key avocado corridors and to provide escorts around inspection points. These operations are intended to safeguard inspectors, producers and workers while helping to deter criminal interference in the supply chain.

The intensified security presence reflects coordination between U.S. and Mexican authorities focused on stabilizing the export process. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson publicly credited measures taken by the Mexican government and its security cabinet with enabling the full resumption of U.S. inspection activities in Michoacán.

The temporary halt highlighted the scale and vulnerability of the region’s avocado sector. About 200,000 people employed in Michoacán’s avocado industry were affected by the pause, including pickers, packers, transport workers and others tied to export operations. With exports now restarted, these workers have been able to return to jobs that depend heavily on continued access to U.S. buyers.

Mexico supplies roughly 80% of the avocados imported by the United States, making Michoacán a critical supplier for U.S. supermarkets, restaurants and food processors. Any disruption to inspections or shipments in this region therefore has direct implications for supply conditions in the U.S. avocado market.

Despite the renewed flow of exports and new security deployments, growers describe ongoing pressure from organized crime. Producers report being forced to pay about 1 peso per kilo exported as extortion to criminal groups operating in the area. These payments add a persistent cost burden to the industry even as formal export operations resume.

One grower stated that he ships roughly 90 metric tons of avocados a day and estimates that his extortion payments exceed $5,000 daily. Such accounts illustrate how criminal demands can significantly affect producers’ finances and underscore that security concerns remain a central challenge for the Michoacán avocado trade, even after inspections and exports have resumed.