California avocado growers call for import limitations amid Mexico trade talks
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) released a new video Thursday as part of a broad advocacy campaign urging federal officials to put American farmers first. The industry body is proposing adopting a seasonal import policy for Mexican avocados during California’s marketing season, which runs from March to September.
The release comes as US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced that the United States would not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form. The agreement will remain in force for the next 10 years with annual revisions by the parties involved. Meanwhile, the United States will hold bilateral negotiations with Mexico the week of July 20 regarding a trade deal between the two countries.
The CAC is drawing attention to these talks, arguing that Mexican avocado imports, cartel involvement in the industry, pest inspections and risks, and market oversupply determine whether US trade policy is working for American farmers and consumers.
“We are on the precipice of a culinary disaster, I call it, because there may come a day soon when we are no longer able to buy California avocados in our own backyard because of the oversupply of imports on the market that are ultimately going to wipe out California avocados,” said chef and restaurant owner Andrew Gruel, who’s featured in the video.
The California Avocado Commission calls for regulation
The CAC is calling for a seasonal Tariff Rate Quota on Mexican avocado imports from March through September, the state’s primary harvest window.
Under the proposal, a set volume of Mexican avocados would continue entering the US market during those months at a zero tariff rate. Imports above that level could still enter, but at a high tariff rate.
“California avocado growers are not asking to stop trade: we're asking for the opportunity to compete fairly in our own market,” said CAC President Ken Melban. “A seasonal Tariff Rate Quota is a balanced, common-sense solution that supports orderly markets while protecting America's domestic food production capacity.”
The video also focuses on cartel involvement in Mexico’s avocado industry, with the CAC raising concerns that criminal threats and violence contributed to reduced US oversight of Mexican avocado inspections, thereby increasing the risk that invasive pests could enter the country through imported fruit.
*All images courtesy of CAC.
The second edition of the Global Avocado Summit will be held on November 11, 2026, at the Monticello Casino Events Center in Santiago, Chile. Organized by Paltas de Chile and Yentzen Group, the meeting seeks to bring together the main players in a growing industry
The event has established itself as a key space for addressing commercial and sustainability issues in the industry, bringing together producers, exporters, buyers, certifiers, and innovators to analyze the sector’s challenges and opportunities.
For more info, contact events@yentzengroup.com
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