The US has suspended government activities in Mexico’s Michoacan state due to an unspecified threat against American interests, potentially disrupting avocado exports from the state to the US.

Impact on Avocado Exports

The suspension will disrupt the work of US Department of Agriculture personnel that inspect avocado exports to the US, Michoacan Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said. A USDA spokesperson told CNN that any produce that requires its onsite approval and hasn’t completed the process isn’t eligible for importation.

Mexico’s avocado producers’ association APEAM said that only avocados received on Tuesday in the presence of the USDA will be processed. The association added that the shipment of fruit destined for export is not authorized, so each packing plant must evaluate and make the operational decisions it deems appropriate regarding harvesting during this day.

Security Concerns

Security forces are carrying out operations against extortion in the state, the governor noted. Cartels regularly extort producers in protection schemes, according to a 2024 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Michoacan’s Public Security Secretary José Antonio Cruz Medina met with USDA representatives on Wednesday to review a request for more security measures for US personnel, the state’s security agency said. It added that the civil guard would boost operations in the region to protect the public.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.