U.S. ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar released a statement June 21 that avocado and mango inspections in Mexico would resume after their pause.
Inspections were halted earlier in June after two inspectors were illegally detained in Michoacán and later freed.
USDA inspectors “will gradually begin to return to the packing plants following recent aggression against them,” Salazar said in a statement. “However, it is still necessary to advance in guaranteeing their security before reaching full operations.”
He said more work still needs to be done to keep inspectors safe so they can resume inspections, eliminating impediments to the trade of avocados and mangos to the United States from Michoacán.
U.S. and Mexican officials are scheduled to meet today in Morelia, Michoacán’s capital, to discuss inspections and security issues, according to the LA Times.
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador said last week he hoped for a diplomatic solution to the issue, and Mexican authorities are committed to protecting USDA inspectors doing their jobs in Mexico.
In 2022, the USDA paused inspections in Michoacán and suspended imports when an inspector reportedly received a threatening call to his official mobile phone. In this case, the stoppage lasted about a week.
