As the costs of US eggs skyrocket, more people are trying to bring eggs across the US-Mexican border, officials say.
Eggs have disappeared from store shelves amid the outbreak of bird flu, where chicken populations have declined. And more people are jumping out to buy eggs across the border.
According to US Border Patrol, eggs increased by 29% between October and February 2024 compared to the same period last year.
so so free -range! 🍳 #SandieGofieldOffice I noticed an increase in the number of eggs intercepted at the entrance port. As a reminder, raw eggs are prohibited from entering the US from Mexico @cbp To avoid penalties, we encourage travelers to declare all agricultural items. pic.twitter.com/9jl0uvtihe
– Sidney Aki, Director of Field Operations (@dfosandiegoca) January 15th, 2025
“It’s a common practice to get food and medicine and cross borders,” Joakin Lken, executive director of the Smart Borders Union, told NBC San Diego that people are banned from raw eggs. I said I might not notice.
However, he advised that anyone with eggs declare them at the border. The eggs remain with the agent, but he said shoppers are more likely to be warned than being fined.
“Importing raw/fresh eggs from Mexico [the] According to a CBP statement, the United States is generally prohibited.
Travelers are prohibited from bringing eggs, raw chicken and live birds from Mexico to the United States, the statement said. You must also declare all produce to CBP officers and agricultural professionals or face potential fines.
CBP says civil penalties for failing to declare prohibited agricultural products could be in the “range of up to $1,000 per first crime in non-commercial quantities.”
Sydney K. Aqui, director of field operations for San Diego’s Customs and Border Protection, wrote in a January 15th post on X that eggs were being intercepted at Entry Port.
The average price of 12 eggs nationwide rose to a record high of $4.95 in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The surge in egg prices is attributed to the outbreak of avian flu, which is depleting chicken populations. The outbreak caused more than 21 million chickens and 13 million deaths in December alone.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the population of traditionally caged chickens is depleted by 8%.
The outbreak occurred between chicken farming and dairy cows, with 68 confirmed cases of avian influenza and one death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
