Mexican Hass avocado prices jumped 34 percent Tuesday

The price for Hass avocados from Michoacán, Mexico’s main avocado producing region, increased 34 percent on Tuesday amid President Trump’s calls to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.

That was the biggest one-day increase since 2009, according to the news outlet, which noted that 75 to 80 percent of avocados consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico. 

{mosads}If Trump were to close the border, the U.S. would face a severe shortage of the fruit. 

Separately, the head of the world’s largest avocado distributer told Reuters that the U.S. would run out of avocados in three weeks if the border was shut down. 

Trump threatened to close the border on Friday unless Mexico stopped all illegal immigration to the U.S. 

“If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug [sic] our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING…..” he tweeted. “….the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week.”

….through their country and our Southern Border. Mexico has for many years made a fortune off of the U.S., far greater than Border Costs. If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2019

….the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week. This would be so easy for Mexico to do, but they just take our money and “talk.” Besides, we lose so much money with them, especially when you add in drug trafficking etc.), that the Border closing would be a good thing!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2019

Trump has since shifted on the issue, saying instead that he would only close down the border if he could not reach a stricter immigration agreement with Congress. 

“I haven’t made that intention known. And I’m ready to close it if I have to close it,” he told reporters Tuesday.