U.S. avocado inspections in Michoacán resumed Aug. 13 after a weeklong security pause.
Why it matters: Michoacán supplies most avocados bound for the U.S., so even a short inspection halt can disrupt a major cross-border food chain. The pause also underscored how security incidents can interrupt trade without a tariff fight.
- The U.S. suspended avocado inspections in Michoacán on Aug. 6, then resumed them Aug. 13.
- AP reported about 200,000 people in Michoacán's avocado industry were left in limbo during the pause.
- Michoacán is Mexico's main avocado-producing state and its leading exporter to the U.S., which buys more than 80% of Mexico's avocado exports by volume.
- The inspection program is run by USDA APHIS and Mexico's SENASICA, with inspectors certifying orchards and packing houses.
Avocado shipments from Michoacán restarted after the U.S. lifted a security alert that had halted inspection activity in the Mexican state. AP reported that producers and workers worried about extortion, robberies and violence during the pause, while the restart allowed inspections and exports to resume.
The pause began Aug. 6, when the U.S. suspended inspections after a security threat. On Aug. 13, U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson said U.S. government activities in Michoacán would resume fully, and Mexico's agriculture secretary said inspections and exports were restarting. AP's report and EL PAÍS both linked the suspension to a security incident and arrests in Michoacán.
The trade matters because Michoacán is the center of Mexico's avocado industry. The state is the country's main producer and leading exporter to the United States, which buys more than 80% of Mexico's avocado exports by volume. USDA data cited in AP put Mexico's 2025 avocado sales to the U.S. at $3.65 billion.
The inspection program is a joint U.S.-Mexico operation run through USDA APHIS and Mexico's SENASICA. U.S. inspectors certify orchards and packing houses for pest compliance, making the export flow dependent on official oversight at both ends.
AP reported that more than 1,500 soldiers were deployed to protect the avocado-growing region, and 300 security personnel were sent to the Los Reyes area as a preventive measure.
By the numbers
- 200,000 - AP's estimate of people left in limbo in Michoacán's avocado industry during the pause.
- More than 80% - Share of Mexico's avocado exports by volume that go to the U.S.
- $3.65 billion - Mexico's avocado sales to the U.S. in 2025, according to USDA data cited by AP.
Yes, but: The restart depends on continued security in a region where officials have already had to deploy soldiers and police.
What's next: Authorities are expected to keep security forces in the avocado-growing region and monitor conditions around orchards, packing houses and transport routes, according to AP's reporting.