LRC this morning links to a Telegraph story revealing that giant avocados from South Africa, large enough to make two pounds of guacamole, are going on sale in Britain. Will Americans be allowed to buy them? The USDA severely restricts imports from Mexico. Wal-Mart was fined a civil penalty of $45,000 for inadvertantly selling Mexican avocados. The California avocado industry is very wary of anything that would cut into their market share, and is currently pushing for stricter rules against Mexican imports. It will surely do the same should giant South Africa avocados become an issue. The Bush administration has shown itself to be very open to industry protectionist campaigns, so it’s best not to plan your next party around massive quantities of quacamole, unless you are willing to pay the high price California’s growers charge.
