A worker sorts avocados at an avocado packing plant in the municipality of Ario de Rosales, Michoacan, Mexico, on April 17, 2026.[AFP]
The United States announced on Friday that it will partially resume inspections of avocado producers in Mexico's Michoacan state, two days after suspending imports of the fruit over security concerns.
Michoacan is a hotspot of fighting between crime gangs, which have diversified into extorting agricultural interests.
It is standard protocol for US authorities to inspect avocado orchards and packing facilities in Mexico.
The US embassy in Mexico said inspections will resume in some avocado-growing areas of Michoacan as of Saturday, but did not specify if shipments would also restart.
The decision was made following "commitments by the Mexican government," security measures implemented in the state and its "ongoing evaluations of conditions on the ground," it said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the diplomatic mission said it had suspended all activities in Michoacan since August 5 following a "threat against US interests."
Mexican authorities announced a day later that Michoacan's security would be reinforced, with the army deploying 1,500 troops to producing areas, packing centers and agricultural inspection points.