U.S. to halt Mexican avocado imports 'as long as necessary' to ensure worker safety

FILE PHOTO: Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks to the media during a news conference at the National Palace, in Mexico City, Mexico, February 9, 2022. Mexico's Presidency/Handout via REUTERS

U.S. imports of new Mexican avocado harvests will stay suspended for "as long as necessary" to ensure the safety of U.S. inspectors who were threatened verbally in Mexico's western Michoacan state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Monday.

The halt of export inspections on Feb. 11 by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) marks another source of trade tension between Washington and Mexico City.