Commission releases video pushing for seasonal tariff rate limit in response to US-Mexico-Canada Agreement review
The California Avocado Commission has launched an advocacy initiative supporting the establishment of a seasonal tariff rate quota on Mexican avocado imports during California’s peak harvest season.
The initiative comes as the US moves forward with the joint review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which the US trade representative Jamieson Greer has said will not be renewed in its current form.
As part of its broader advocacy efforts, the commission has produced a video featuring California avocado growers alongside representatives from agriculture, food and public policy highlighting the economic challenges California avocado growers face and the importance of maintaining a strong domestic avocado industry. The video serves as an additional resource calling on policymakers to elevate the industry’s perspective during discussions surrounding the USMCA review and ongoing federal trade policy considerations.
The proposed seasonal TRQ would apply during California’s marketing season, March through September. Under the proposal, a designated volume of Mexican avocados would continue entering the US market at the standard tariff rate during those months, while imports above that level would remain eligible to enter under a higher tariff rate.
The commission believes that by reducing market disruptions and oversupply during the California season, the TRQ would strengthen domestic food security and help ensure US avocado growers remain economically viable for future generations.
“California avocado growers are not asking to stop trade, we’re asking for the opportunity to compete fairly in our own market,” said Ken Melban, president of the California Avocado Commission. “A seasonal Tariff Rate Quota is a common-sense approach that supports a balanced market while helping preserve America’s domestic food production capacity. This video helps tell the story of our growers and illustrates why thoughtful trade policy is essential to maintaining a strong and resilient domestic avocado industry.”
In addition to advocating for a seasonal TRQ, the commission continues to urge federal officials to strengthen and permanently incorporate robust phytosanitary inspection requirements into the USMCA to help protect US agriculture from invasive pests and diseases.
“The California avocado industry has been built over generations by farming families committed to producing high-quality fruit while caring for the land,” said Rachael Laenen, chair of the California Avocado Commission. “We want policymakers to understand what’s at stake. Maintaining a healthy domestic avocado industry is about supporting American agriculture, strengthening our nation’s food security and ensuring consumers continue to have access to locally grown California avocados. We hope this video helps bring greater awareness to the challenges our growers face and the importance of policies that allow American agriculture to remain competitive.”
The video campaign complements the California Avocado Commission’s ongoing engagement with members of congress, federal agencies and trade officials during the USMCA review process.
