Apr 14, 2022

IFPA urges resolution of trade flow at US-Mexico border

The International Fresh Produce Association is encouraged by recent announcements that some of the border crossings in Texas have been reopened, the organization said in an April 14 news release.

“While this action is positive, we would urge that normal border access between the United States and Mexico resume as soon as possible.  These actions have severely disrupted the movement of fresh fruits and vegetables along Texas’ ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, resulting in increased inspection delays and loss of product.

“The action by the state of Texas has resulted in a huge backlog of fresh produce. In some cases there are reported delays of 30+ hours at the border, with the state inspections interfering with the responsibilities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is already tasked with border inspections and security,” said International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Chief Policy Officer Robert Guenther.

“In turn, produce that was destined to United States consumers, in some cases, will have to be destroyed because of the perishability of our products.  This will result in millions of lost economic production not only in Mexico but to the state of Texas and potentially other border states that are now experiencing similar delays. We urge the Governor to convene all stakeholders impacted by this decision and resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

Both workforce and supply chain are policy priority issue for IFPA, and the organization is working with allied industry groups and federal stakeholders on prompt resolution of this trade disruption.

The IFPA is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support.

While IFPA is built on the legacy of United Fresh and Produce Marketing Association, it is not just a combination. It is transformational. Recognizing the industry required an even more powerful and unified voice, the leaders of the former United Fresh and Produce Marketing Association chose not to merge, but rather to create an entirely new organization to supersede their organizations, effective Jan. 1, 2022.