"American growers should not have to compete against an industry where criminal activity and illegal practices undermine fair competition"
The California Avocado Commission distributed the following press release:
Surging Mexican avocado exports from an industry plagued by cartel involvement, illegal deforestation, and growing protests are contributing to America's trade imbalance while threatening the future of California family farms.
The growing turmoil in Mexico has now erupted into widespread protests, harvesting stoppages, road blockades and confrontations involving avocado shipments. Mexican news outlets have reported threats to burn transport trucks and the destruction of more than 114,000 pounds of avocados allegedly contaminated with destructive pests.
TV Azteca Michoacán reported Oct. 30 that growers released video showing suspected avocado seed borers in fruit transported from other Mexican states.
Mexican avocado export volumes surged 33.7% from January through August 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 as the U.S. goods trade deficit with Mexico reached $196.9 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, California's avocado industry has suffered substantial losses. From 2006 to 2025, the number of California avocado growers declined 55%, while production fell 46%, from 600.9 million pounds to 326 million pounds, and planted avocado acreage also declined 12%.
"Every California farm that goes out of business represents another piece of America's agricultural independence lost," said Ken Melban, president of the California Avocado Commission. "President Trump understands the threat posed by these cartels. American growers should not have to compete against an industry where criminal activity and illegal practices undermine fair competition. An America First trade policy and Make America Healthy Again must include protecting the family farms that produce our nation's food.”
The U.S. Treasury Department has documented Mexican cartels' direct involvement in agriculture, including land seizures, illicit agricultural production, extortion, and illegal deforestation. These non-market forces distort competition and place American growers at a severe disadvantage.
President Donald Trump has described Mexican cartels as "the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere," as his administration confronts organized crime and the country's substantial trade imbalance with Mexico.