Activities will restart in some towns from Saturday after Mexican security commitments, but Washington is still reviewing conditions and has not set a date for a full restart.
The United States will partially resume official activities in parts of Michoacan's avocado belt on Saturday, easing a suspension that halted the inspections needed for exports from Mexico's top avocado-producing state after a threat to U.S. interests. The U.S. Embassy said the move follows commitments by the Mexican government, security measures implemented in Michoacan and continued coordination on conditions on the ground, but it gave no timeline for a full restart. The Mexican Hass Avocado Association said existing inventories and fruit already moving through the supply chain should cover near-term U.S. demand. A Michoacan government official said authorities believed the security alert may have been triggered by violence following the arrest of alleged cartel leader Alfonso Fernández Magallón and by unconfirmed reports that a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector may have been threatened. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico was coordinating with the embassy to guarantee inspectors' safety, while more than 1,500 soldiers and National Guard personnel were deployed to the state. Michoacan is central to U.S. avocado supply, and inspections there were also temporarily suspended in 2022 and 2024 after security incidents involving inspectors.