• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • BLOG
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » How a U.S.-Mexico Border Closure Could Impact Your Next Meal

How a U.S.-Mexico Border Closure Could Impact Your Next Meal

April 5, 2019
Bloomberg

An actual shutdown for the U.S.-Mexico border would have far-reaching consequences on economies and people, but one unexpected victim could also be the average American’s breakfast plate.

Favorites like avocado toast and healthy berries would be at stake if agriculture trade stops between the nations, since U.S. consumers enjoy a lot of Mexican fruit and other produce. On the flip side, American farmers, already reeling from the U.S.-China trade war, could see demand shrink from another major export market.

So far, there hasn’t been much market reaction, save for avocados, where a 34 percent jump in prices this week could be a harbinger of the chaos to come if Donald Trump follows through on his threat.

Here are some of the markets that could see disruptions:

Guac and Margaritas

Just as the weather is starting to warm north of the border — prime time for poolside guacamole and margaritas — a border shutdown would threaten key ingredients since the U.S. relies on Mexico for avocados, limes and tomatoes.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. alone uses more than 200,000 avocados a day to make guacamole at its 2,500 stores. Border disruptions would severely tighten supplies, and potentially see Hass avocado prices skyrocket. That’s why Chipotle is looking into alternative avocado supply options. Meanwhile, asparagus is also in the firing line, and shippers are trying to cross as much as possible in preparation for a shutdown, according to U.S. fresh produce distributor Pro*Act.

Berries

Mexico is also a major mixed berry supplier to the U.S. With the U.S. harvest still weeks away, a border shutdown would create an immediate supply gap in raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, Pro Act said in a letter dated Tuesday. Strawberries would be safe amid rising domestic supply.

Grains

Consumers south of the border would also feel the pain of disruptions to food supplies. Mexico is the top export market for U.S. corn, accounting for about $2.8bn worth of grain shipments last season. Removing that level of sales would be another hammer blow for U.S. growers already grappling with flooding, a trade war with China and years of low prices. Supply woes could also push up prices of Mexican staples such as tortillas.

Meat and Milk

Mexico is also the top importer of U.S. pork and non-fat dry milk, two other key items in the country’s kitchens. As concerns over a shutdown do the rounds, the U.S. Meat Export Federation has staff in Mexico keeping vigil for any disruptions. For now, though, it’s been business as usual, Joe Schuele, vice president of communications at the U.S. Meat Export Federation, said by telephone.

In total, the U.S. exports about $19bn in farm goods to Mexico, much of which are perishable. “A day could ruin a large percentage of a farm’s harvest,” said Will Rodger, a spokesman for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

North America Sourcing/Procurement/SRM Global Supply Chain Management SC Security & Risk Mgmt Global Trade & Economics Logistics Food & Beverage
KEYWORDS Food and Beverage Global Supply Chain Management Global Trade & Economics North America SC Security & Risk Mgmt Sourcing/Procurement/SCM
  • Related Articles

    Kansas Rail Company Breaks Up a Bottleneck at the U.S.-Mexico Border

    U.S. Ranchers and Meat Packers Could Be the Next Victims of the Trump Trade War

  • Related Events

    Managing Risk Associated with People Connected to your Third-Party Relationships

Bloomberg

Why a Cashmere Sweater Can Cost $2,000 — or $30

More from this author

Get regular updates!
Subscribe to our newsletter

Enjoy curated articles directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • 1115_chinarareearthminerals

    Podcast | Can China’s Monopoly on Rare Earth Minerals Be Broken?

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
  • 1111_makeorbreakblockchain

    The Element That Can Make or Break Blockchain for the Supply Chain

    Technology
  • 1125_themodernfactory

    The ‘Modern’ Factory Remains a Dream for Many Manufacturers

    Technology
  • 1118_howconsumerproductscompanies

    How Consumer-Products Companies Are Wasting Their Digital Spend

    Technology
  • 1122_forcedlaborinindia

    Podcast | This Campaign Is Out to Stop Forced Labor in India

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM

Digital Edition

55746

Subscribe today and receive the latest issue

Start Your Subscription

Case Studies

  • Manufacturer Slashes Shipping Costs With AI Packaging Solution

  • Apparel Retailer Saves $45 Million With Reverse Logistics Solution

  • QuestaWeb Configures Fragrance Company’s Complex Procedures Into Its Advanced FTZ Software

  • Business Turnaround: Integrated Business Planning as a Management Tool

  • How a 3PL Reduced Rejected Deliveries Using LoadProof

Visit Our Sponsors

  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
  • The Magazine
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • Resources
    • Newsletters
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us

All content copyright © 2016 - 2018 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing