Mexico leader on US suspension of avocado imports

Mexico's president said the U.S. suspension on avocado imports and other recent environmental sanctions are part of a conspiracy against his country by political or economic interests. Andres Manuel López Obrador on one hand downplayed the measure, saying avocados for the Super Bowl had already been shipped north and consumed.

The truth is that Mexican avocados have already been exported. On the other hand, the president said producers who wanted to compete with Mexican products, or political factors, played a role in the decision. "In all of this there are also a lot of political interests, there is competition, they don't want Mexican avocados to get into the United States, right, because it would rule in the United States because of its quality," López Obrador said.

In fact, the U.S. grows about half the avocados it consumes and to protect domestic orchards from pests inspects imported avocados - nearly 90% of which came from Mexico in recent years. The U.S. government suspended all imports of Mexican avocados "until further notice" after one of those U.S. plants safety inspectors in Mexico received a threatening message.