U.S. government allows Mexican avocado imports to resume

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that imports of Mexican avocados could resume after a brief pause.

A week ago, one of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service inspectors in Mexico was threatened, leading to the suspension of imports of the fruit from the border nation.

But on Friday, the agency said additional safety measures have been enacted to address the security issue, after working with the U.S. Embassy, Mexico’s national plant protection organization and an avocado trade group.

Inspections in the state of Michoacan have restarted and exports of the avocados to the U.S. have resumed.

The pause came during peak growing season for Mexican avocados, which lasts from January to March, and just before the Super Bowl, which is the most popular time of the year for U.S. avocado consumption.

Experts had predicted soaring prices and shortages if the issue wasn’t quickly resolved. Last year, 92% of avocados consumed in the U.S. came from Mexico.

Michoacan is the only Mexican state fully authorized to sell its avocados to the U.S., although a second one, Jalisco, recently received approval to start exporting its avocados this summer.