Avocados are about to get more expensive because the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados until further notice after a U.S. plant safety inspector received a threat in Mexico. 

This import ban went into effect on Saturday evening after Mexico's Agricultural Department made a statement saying how U.S. health authorities "made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone." 

Awesome 98 logo
Get our free mobile app

Fortunately, the U.S. won't be completely without avocados because we do grow some ourselves. However, we'll almost certainly see a price increase on those avocados since the U.S. typically receives $3 billion worth of avocados from Mexico every year. This means that guac will definitely be extra as long as the import ban is in place.  

Thankfully, the U.S. doesn't want this to be a permanent ban and is working on improving security conditions for the U.S inspectors so they can continue to safely work in Michoacan and resume operations. They're especially concerned about the inspector’s safety because this isn’t the first instance of U.S. inspectors being threatened in Mexico.  

Back in 2019, a team of inspectors for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were robbed at gunpoint in Ziracuaretiro, Mexico. That led to the USDA writing a letter saying, "For future situations that result in a security breach, or demonstrate an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend program activities." So, after this recent threat, they shut down imports as stated. 

Hopefully the ban will be lifted soon, but I would definitely expect to see a price increase on avocados until imports start up again. 

101 Awesome Pictures That Show How Lubbock Has Changed Over the Years

See how some of Lubbock's best known restaurants, venues and more have changed over the past 15 years.

36 Celebrities That You Might Run into in Texas

There are many celebrities that have made Texas their home. Some were born here, and others decided to make their move recently during the 2020 pandemic. These are some of the musicians, actors, athletes, and other public figures that all call the great Lone Star State home.

More From Awesome 98