The United States fully resumed government activities in Michoacan on Aug. 13, ending a brief suspension of avocado inspections that had jeopardized shipments to U.S. markets.
Michoacan, Mexico’s top avocado‑producing region, supplies roughly 80 % of the avocados imported by the United States and supports about 200,000 jobs.
U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson praised President Claudia Sheinbaum for the security measures that made the full restart possible, saying the government will keep monitoring conditions and adjust operations as needed.
The pause began on Aug. 5 after the U.S. Embassy warned of a threat to U.S. interests, preventing USDA inspectors from accessing orchards and packing plants required for fruit entry.
A partial return of inspection activities occurred last week in parts of the avocado belt, but the recent decision restores full access for all growers and exporters.
Protecting Inspectors
Sheinbaum said Mexico will coordinate with the U.S. embassy to safeguard inspectors, deploying more than 1,500 soldiers and National Guard members.
The Secretariat of National Defense specified the deployment includes 657 National Guard personnel and 900 Army troops tasked with patrols, escorts around inspection sites and deterrence of extortion.
At least four cartels designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration operate in Michoacan, using violence and extortion to pressure growers, packers and transporters.
Previous inspection pauses occurred in 2022 after a phone threat and in 2024 when two USDA employees were assaulted and briefly held captive.
Mexico’s avocado exports totaled $3.65 billion in 2025, with shipments in the first four months of 2026 up 35 % year‑over‑year; only Michoacan and Jalisco are authorized to export, and Jalisco’s volume remains far smaller.
Restoring inspections ensures the flow of fruit from packing houses and orchards, maintaining the supply chain that delivers the popular Hass avocado to U.S. consumers.
