The U.S. has lifted its ban on avocados imported from Mexico, the U.S. Division of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service introduced Friday. The choice comes after the USDA mentioned certainly one of its workers was threatened final week, prompting a halt in imports of the fruit.
The company mentioned Friday that its Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service has labored to enact extra security measures for inspectors working within the subject.
Imports had been halted final week after an inspector, who's liable for ensuring that Mexican avocados don't carry dangerous pests into the U.S., obtained a risk "in opposition to him and his household" on February 11, based on a press release from the division cited by The Related Press. The inspector had "questioned the integrity of a sure cargo, and refused to certify it based mostly on concrete points," the USDA mentioned in a press release.
"The security of USDA workers merely doing their jobs is of paramount significance," the company mentioned in a press release Friday. "USDA is appreciative of the optimistic, collaborative relationship between america and Mexico that made decision of this subject attainable in a well timed method."
Ambassador Ken Salazar of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico mentioned the U.S. and Mexico will "proceed working collectively to fortify the robust bilateral provide chains that promote financial progress and prosperity in each our international locations."
Following the division's ban this week, specialists warned of pricier avocados throughout its peak rising season in Mexico. In 2021, the U.S. imported $2.8 billion value of avocados from Mexico, based on the USDA.