MEXICO CITY – The United States has suspended federal avocado inspections in Michoacan after what officials described as a threat to U.S. interests, interrupting a key step in the export process for fruit bound for American markets.
The halt is part of a broader suspension of U.S. government operations in the western Mexican state. Mexican officials said the action followed arrests connected to extortion activity and was intended to protect workers, but neither government immediately disclosed the specific nature of the threat.
U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors are required to certify orchards and packing facilities before Michoacan avocados may enter the United States. A prolonged interruption could affect the timing of shipments, although officials had not announced an estimate Wednesday for when inspections would resume.
Michoacan is Mexico’s leading avocado-producing state and the center of the country’s export trade. Mexico supplies roughly 80% of the avocados imported by the United States, making the inspection program important to grocers, restaurants and produce distributors across Texas and the rest of the country.
The state’s avocado industry also operates in a region where criminal organizations have sought revenue through extortion and control of local commerce. Mexican authorities have repeatedly deployed security forces to protect agricultural workers and transportation routes.
Mexican avocado exports were valued at about $3.65 billion in 2025. Exports during the first four months of 2026 were reported to be 35% higher than during the same period a year earlier.
Previous security incidents have temporarily stopped U.S. inspections in Michoacan. The latest suspension does not itself prohibit avocado sales in the United States, but it could limit new certified shipments if the pause continues.
