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The US has suspended safety inspections of avocados and mangoes from the Mexican state of Michoacán due to a security incident involving US Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, an agency spokesman said.
The spokesman said avocados and mangoes already in transit from Michoacán would not be affected, but further inspections were suspended “until further notice.”
A prolonged suspension of avocado inspections in particular could cause a significant blow to one of Mexico’s biggest exports to the US.
“The [safety inspection] programs will remain on hold until the security situation is reviewed and protocols and safeguards are put in place,” the USDA spokesperson said.
A government source in Michoacán told Reuters the temporary suspension was triggered on Saturday after an incident at a protest in support of local police in the municipality of Paracho.
On Monday, Michoacan Gov. Alfredo Ramirez told reporters he had been in constant contact with U.S. officials since Sunday, giving them a “guarantee” that the right conditions were in place for exports from the state.
Mexico’s agriculture ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2022, US officials temporarily suspended avocado shipments from Michoacán, a state with long-standing problems with gang violence, citing security issues facing inspectors.
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