Mexico, US reach deal to resume avocado shipments, Governor says

The US and Mexico have reached a deal to restart inspections of mango and avocados from the state of Michoacan more than a week after they were halted over security concerns, Governor Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla announced in a press conference.

The agreement followed a Monday meeting between Ramirez Bedolla, who leads Michoacan, and US Ambassador Ken Salazar. It will include close communication between authorities in both countries and an emergency plan, Salazar said during the press conference.

The US Department of Agriculture notified the Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico of its decision to halt new exports out of Michoacan on June 14, after local news reports that two American agricultural inspectors were held against their will amid a protest over police pay.

Earlier Monday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador criticized the US for acting unilaterally to freeze some avocado shipments from the country, saying it could have been avoided if officials from both countries had discussed the matter earlier.

“We asked the government of the United States not to act in a unilateral manner, since we have a good relationship, and we are working together, so this is not the way,” Lopez Obrador said at his daily press briefing in the National Palace in Mexico City. 

The suspension was the second by the US on Mexican avocados in the past two and a half years due to security concerns. Exports from other states continued throughout the partial freeze.