Picture This: Mexico's Avocado Exporters Look Beyond US Market

What we know

Mexico’s avocado exporters are seeking growth beyond their dominant US market, with producers in Jalisco — the country’s second-largest avocado-producing state — targeting new opportunities in Asia. The push comes as national diversification efforts begin to lift shipments to markets including the EU, Japan and Honduras, even as the US continues to account for most Mexican avocado exports.

The US has been Mexico’s primary export market for avocados, accounting for 85.8% shipments in the 12 months to April 30, 2026, on a quantity basis, and 86.4% in 2024. During the same 12-month period, Canada accounted for 6.5% of exports and Japan for 2.5%.

In the three months to April 31, 2026, exports to the EU soared, growing by 6,142.9% year over year, compared with the same period last year, and by 95.8% in the broader 12-month period. Although this growth was large, in the context of total Mexican exports, EU shipments only represented 0.7% of Mexican exports in the 12-month period. Similarly, EU avocado imports from Mexico only made up 2.2% of the total during the first quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, Mexican exports of avocados to Japan also grew significantly year over year in the three months to April 31, 2026, as did exports to Honduras.

Why it matters

Mexico’s effort to expand avocado exports beyond the US reflects both a market opportunity and a risk-management strategy. Demand in the EU, Japan and Honduras is growing quickly, but the US remains overwhelmingly dominant as a destination for Mexican avocados, meaning diversification is still at an early stage.

The appeal of Mexico’s Hass avocados — known for their buttery texture and nuttier taste — gives producers a competitive advantage over more chalky and bitter varieties native to South American countries. Sustainability initiatives, including a goal of a deforestation-free avocado industry by 2030, could also help Mexico position its avocado sector more favorably in markets beyond the US.

Still, local developments could complicate that outlook. The upcoming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) review, farmer protests over protections and fixed prices, and cartel-related disruptions in western Mexico all have the potential to affect trade flows, logistics and market access.