The skyrocketing cost of eggs has prompted an uptick in attempts to smuggle them across the southern border.
There was a 29% increase in shell eggs being confiscated at ports of entry between October 2024 and February compared with the same time period last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Los Angeles Times reported.
“It’s common practice to get some groceries or medication and cross the border,” Joaquin Luken, executive director of the Smart Border Coalition, told NBC San Diego, and he said people may not realize raw eggs are on the prohibited list.
On Monday, CBP Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki said his office has seen an increase in the number of eggs being intercepted at ports of entry.
“As a reminder, uncooked eggs are prohibited entry from Mexico into the U.S. Failure to declare agriculture items can result in penalties of up to $10,000,” he wrote on X.
Avian Influenza, or bird flu, has caused the price of a dozen eggs to increase.
Amid an egg shortage, Turkey has promised to step in and fill the void.
Ibrahim Afyon, chairman of the Egg Producers Central Union in Turkey, on Wednesday told Reuters that a total of “15,000 tonnes (33 million pounds) of eggs — equivalent to 700 containers — will be shipped” to the U.S.
The shipment is part of a preliminary agreement between Turkey and the U.S. that will continue through July 2025.
“The export will take place through our member companies with the required authorizations, while two firms will coordinate the process,” Afyon said.
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