The FPAA also follows up changes in the Mexican labor law, especially the changes that affect agricultural labor, such as increases in wages, minimum age to work in the fields, agricultural worker unions, etc. As part of these efforts the FPAA continues supporting and participating with the Alianza Hortofrutícola Internacional para el Fomento de la Responsabilidad Social (AHIFORES). This year, AHIFORES communication efforts included social responsibility campaigns, seminars and workshops about outsourcing legislation reforms, social security, and labor inspections. The FPAA has been working with AHIFORES to promote social responsibility best practices and bring awareness of industry labor issues.

FPAA has been meeting with new appointed officials at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City; USDA FAS in Monterrey, Mexico Office; Mexican Embassy in D.C.; the Mexican Consulate in Nogales AZ; and the New Mexican Customs Agency (ANAM) in Nogales.

These are just the highlights of last year’s Mexico’s advocacy efforts that FPAA does on the behalf of its members

Mexico Advocacy

FPAA continued to meet regularly with Mexican officials and grower associations. In the past year, we have followed closely the trade relations among Mexico, the US, and Canada.

With two years of the implementation of the USMCA we have seen consultations involving Mexico on auto rules of origin, labor complaints, and the most recent energy policies.

The US and Canada have requested dispute settlement talks under the USMCA, arguing that Mexico is violating the deal with its energy policies that prioritize energy from its state utility over private renewables companies, as well as hurting U.S. investors and jeopardizing Mexico’s own climate goals. The process could lead to trade sanctions on Mexico if the three countries cannot resolve the issue through talks or litigation. The FPAA will continue working with its partners, monitor the consultations, and inform of any likely results.

This year we experienced a couple of bumps during the season. The first one was when the APHIS inspections ceased in Michoacan and the second when Governor Abbot implemented a secondary inspection of trucks crossing the Texas/Mexico border creating bottlenecks that affected the flow of produce through Texas.

APHIS Inspections in Michoacan

The FPAA learned in early February that the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) decided to suspend, until further notice the inspection and verification for the exportation of avocados from Michoacan, after one of its officials, received a threat.

The FPAA was in communication with the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico (APEAM). The avocado industry had enacted protocols tracing back to their orchards all avocados before continuing packing. The avocado industry was ready to resume operations and awaited APHIS determination.

FPAA also confirmed with CBP that the agency would allow avocados that were inspected and certified for export before the incident to continue to be imported. FPAA kept monitoring and informing its members and industry partners on how the situation continued to evolve; from meetings between APHIS officials and personnel posted in Mexico, and representatives from APEAM with local and state police to address the security issue; to the Mexican Ag Department continued work to verify the compliance of the program to guarantee a safe and free of pest avocado production.

A couple of days later mango inspections in Michoacan also ceased for a short period of time. The FPAA reached out to the APHIS Assistant Preclearance Director for Mexico who stated that APHIS inspectors would continue working in the rest of Mexico. FPAA was also in communication with the Association of Mango Packers of Mexico (EMEX) who later confirmed that Mango inspectors in Michoacan had resumed operations.