The U.S.-Mexico Avocado Dispute Is Already Causing Shortages
- Grocery stores look to domestic supply, but at a higher cost
- Avocado prices to rise at stores amid already steep inflation
A worker places avocados into a box at a packing facility in Periban, Michoacan state, Mexico.
Photographer: Jeoffrey Guillemard/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Shortages of avocados are already showing up in the supply chain after a suspension of imports from Mexico just days ago.
Mexico, which accounts for about 80% of the U.S.’s supply, is scrambling to fix the ban. Meanwhile, in the U.S., time is of the essence until supplies run out. The market has 57 million pounds of avocados, which translates to just a week’s worth of inventory, according to Stonehill Produce Chief Executive Officer Keith Slattery, who cited industry figures from the Hass Avocado Board.