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MEXICO CITY — Facing the possibility that the United States will decline to renew the USMCA, Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy has unveiled a new trade proposal: genetically modified avocados bearing a laser-etched image of President Donald Trump’s face on every U.S.-bound shipment.
The initiative, presented Thursday as “Aguacate Presidente,” would use a proprietary etching process similar to techniques already used to brand logos onto fruit skins for grocery store promotions. Officials say the technology is fully developed and could be scaled to cover 40% of avocado exports to the U.S. by the fourth quarter, pending presidential approval on the other side of the border.
“We looked at what has worked in past negotiations and asked ourselves what else could be done,” said one trade ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposal is still being finalized. “President Trump already has his signature on the new 100-dollar bill and his face on the U.S. passport. An avocado felt like the natural next step in the rollout.”
The proposal comes amid growing anxiety among Mexican avocado producers in Michoacán, who export roughly US $3 billion worth of the fruit to the U.S. annually and have watched tariff threats resurface with each round of USMCA talks. Producers reached for comment expressed cautious optimism about the plan, noting that whatever keeps the border open is, by definition, good policy.
“We are simply trying to find creative solutions within the existing framework,” said a spokesperson for the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico, using a phrase that has appeared in nearly identical form in 17 separate government press releases since March. “This is not our first choice. It is our current choice.”
Agricultural economists note that the etching does not affect the avocado’s ripening process, shelf life or flavor, though early focus groups reported mild discomfort eating “anything with a face on it.” The Secretariat of Economy has responded by proposing a smaller, less detailed version of the etching for the guacamole market, where the face would only be “suggested” through subtle shading.
As of press time, the White House had not confirmed receipt of the proposal, though a senior U.S. trade official said the administration “appreciates gestures of goodwill, of any shape.”
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