Today, the United States government officially published the final rule establishing the conditions that must be met for the export of Hass avocados from Guatemala to the U.S. market. This is a crucial step, giving the green light to the development and publication of the Operational Work Plan by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In 2020, a group of avocado producers in Guatemala requested that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food initiate the process of gaining access to the United States market for Guatemalan Hass avocados through pest-free sites, using a systems approach. This process has been carried out with technical rigor and thanks to teamwork between government entities and Guatemalan avocado producers.

This milestone is invaluable for the continued growth of Hass avocado cultivation in Guatemala, opening opportunities especially for small and medium-sized producers and generating significant economic development in areas prone to migration. Access for Guatemalan avocados to the United States market will create jobs and prosperity in plantations, packing facilities, and throughout the avocado production chain, as well as in related services that will contribute to the country's economic development.

The publication of this final rule is a clear demonstration of the willingness to cooperate between the Governments of Guatemala and the United States to generate new economic and development opportunities for the country.

ANAGUACATE thanks the avocado producers of Guatemala who have believed in, trusted, and supported this initiative, the United States Government, the United States Embassy in Guatemala, especially Ambassador Tobin Bradley, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the President of the Republic of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo, the Government of Guatemala and the Ministries of Economy, Foreign Affairs, and especially the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) for their leadership and support during this process.

As ANAGUACATE , we have been working since 2020 on training, strengthening, and transferring technical knowledge so that as many producers as possible, regardless of their scale, can meet the requirements and join the export market in the United States. The producers are ready to comply. We will continue working and providing the necessary support in the next steps, raising the profile of Guatemalan avocados.