The U.S. is heavily reliant on Mexico for avocados, with domestic growers unable to supply enough to meet demand or provide avocados year-round.
Satisfying cravings for avocado toast or guacamole could be costlier if Donald Trump follows through with plans to slap tariffs on goods from Mexico, experts told Newsweek.
Trump on Monday announced plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico as part of an effort to crack down on the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the country.
Economists have warned that importers who directly pay the tariffs are likely to pass on the cost to consumers. That will mean Americans face paying higher prices for fresh produce, including avocados—the vast majority of which are imported from Mexico to meet the intense domestic demand.
About 90 percent of the avocados coming into the U.S. are imported from Mexico, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Mexico has become the world’s top producer of avocados largely because of that demand. The county’s avocado exports were worth over $3 billion last year, with the U.S. accounting for 80 percent of its market share.
The amount of avocados imported into the U.S. a record 2.8 billion pounds of fresh avocados in 2023—could come down if Trump imposes the tariffs when he returns to office, and experts say they will likely cost more.
