California’s avocado industry is calling for urgent action from Washington, warning that domestic growers face significant pressure from Mexican imports. The California Avocado Commission recently launched a campaign highlighting the challenges, stating that American farmers are on the precipice of a culinary disaster due to an unlevel playing field.
This appeal coincides with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's announcement that the United States will not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form. As preparations are made for a critical third round of bilateral negotiations with Mexico, domestic growers are advocating for a seasonal import policy designed to prevent the complete displacement of the domestic industry.
The Commission is proposing a seasonal Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) on Mexican avocado imports, to be in effect from March through September. Under this framework, a specific volume of Mexican avocados would be allowed to enter the U.S. without tariffs. However, imports exceeding this established threshold would face high tariffs. Domestic growers report facing immense pressure from foreign oversupply during the peak American harvest window.
Prominent industry figures and political leaders have voiced their support for this initiative.
The current trade policy discussions stand in contrast to the rich, shared history of avocado cultivation across North America. Avocados are indigenous to the New World, with archaeological evidence indicating their cultivation by indigenous populations in Mexico and Central America for thousands of years. The ancient Aztecs revered the fruit, calling it 'ahuacatl,' which was later introduced to Western botany as 'aguacate' following the Spanish conquest.
In California, the commercial avocado industry began in 1871 when Judge R.B. Ord introduced the first avocado trees to Santa Barbara. A significant development occurred in 1935 when Rudolph Hass, a Southern California postal worker, patented the Hass avocado. Originating from a single mother tree in La Habra Heights, this variety, known for its richer, creamier texture and thicker skin, quickly became the global standard for the industry.
A key factor driving the Commission's urgent appeal to Washington is the escalating infiltration of organized crime into Mexico’s multi-billion-dollar avocado trade. Shifts in the international illicit drug market, particularly the rise of synthetic fentanyl, have diminished traditional cartel revenues. In response, powerful criminal syndicates have diversified their operations, increasingly extorting agricultural sectors.
In major Mexican production hubs, including Michoacán and Jalisco, violent cartels are reportedly engaged in aggressively extorting local growers, hijacking cargo trucks, and controlling vital points within the supply chain. This volatile environment has led to severe disruptions in safety oversight. The California Avocado Commission has previously expressed concerns that cartel threats and violence have directly compromised and reduced U.S. federal oversight of Mexican avocado pest inspections. Without stringent, uncompromised inspections, imported fruit poses a significant risk of introducing destructive, invasive pests onto American soil, which could threaten the entire domestic agricultural infrastructure.
Beyond geopolitical and agricultural considerations, the avocado remains a vital superfood, globally recognized for its dense nutritional profile. American growers emphasize that they cannot continue to provide this vital crop under current trade conditions. By implementing a seasonal tariff policy, the agriculture sector aims to protect domestic farms from being entirely supplanted by supply chains that are compromised by cartels and are under-regulated environmentally.
