According to www.freightwaves.com, Mexican Hass avocado imports generated an estimated $641.5 million in U.S. transportation and warehousing activity and supported more than 4,150 jobs in fiscal year 2025-26, according to research by Texas A&M University released by the Avocado Institute of Mexico.
Texas border crossings carry nearly all avocado volume
The study, titled “The U.S. Economic Contributions of Hass Avocado Imports from Mexico,” found that nearly 98% of Mexican avocados entering the U.S. in 2024 moved by truck through Texas land ports, primarily Pharr and Laredo. The freight task is concentrated at two crossings, making the corridor a critical node for refrigerated trucking.
According to USDA data cited in the Texas A&M report, the Pharr border crossing handled approximately 58.2% of Mexican avocado imports in 2024, while Laredo accounted for another 39.4%. Once shipments clear the border, avocados move through trucking companies, refrigerated warehouses, wholesalers, distribution centers and food processors before reaching grocery stores and restaurants nationwide.
The report found that avocado shipments generate additional economic activity through purchases of fuel, equipment, transportation services, repairs and other logistics-related services, with contributions extending beyond companies directly transporting the fruit to businesses throughout interconnected supply chains.
National footprint reaches $7.1 billion in output
The analysis estimated that Mexican Hass avocado imports generated $7.1 billion in total U.S. economic output and supported 37,163 jobs across multiple industries during the fiscal year ending June 2026. The Texas A&M study also found that $3.2 billion in Mexican Hass avocado imports during fiscal year 2025/26 contributed an estimated $4.4 billion to U.S. GDP.
The imports supported $2.4 billion in labor income and generated approximately $1 billion in federal, state and local taxes, according to the report. Those figures frame the avocado trade as a broad fiscal contributor, not merely a border-crossing freight flow.
Texas and California account for a fraction of the total
In Texas alone, an estimated $245.1 million in Mexican Hass avocado imports generated $428.9 million in economic output, contributed $265.5 million to the state’s gross domestic product and supported 2,402 jobs across industries.
The study estimated that California, the nation’s largest avocado-consuming state, generated $968.2 million in economic output and supported 5,325 jobs associated with Mexican avocado imports. Together, Texas and California accounted for only 19% to 22% of the national economic contributions measured in the study, demonstrating how the supply chain extends throughout the country.
“This report demonstrates the value of a deeply integrated North American supply chain built over decades between Mexico and the U.S. Mexican avocados don’t simply cross the border, they generate economic activity throughout the U.S. economy, supporting transportation and distribution networks, retailers, restaurants and communities across the country.” — Ron Campbell, executive director of the Mexican Hass Avocado Import Association
GLS US adds El Paso to parcel network
Regional parcel delivery provider GLS US has expanded into El Paso, Texas, strengthening its shipping network across the Western U.S. and adding another market along the U.S.-Mexico border. The expansion, announced Oct. 20, gives businesses in West Texas access to first-, middle- and final-mile delivery services.
The new location can also determine international shipping capabilities and parcel transportation for shipments weighing up to 150 pounds. El Paso is a major U.S.-Mexico trade gateway supported by manufacturing, distribution and cross-border commerce with neighboring Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
GLS said the expanded network will serve manufacturers, distributors, retailers and e-commerce businesses seeking improved shipping connectivity throughout Texas and the Western U.S. The move follows GLS US expansions into Houston, Austin and San Antonio earlier this year, after entering the Dallas-Fort Worth market in 2025. GLS US is part of GLS Group, a European parcel delivery company operating in more than 50 countries and handling more than 900 million parcels annually.
Jetco launches heavy-haul division for Gulf Coast
Houston-based trucking and logistics provider Jetco has launched a specialized cargo division aimed at growing demand for heavy-haul transportation tied to data centers, power generation, manufacturing and infrastructure projects along the Gulf Coast. The division combines Jetco’s existing heavy-haul operations, established in 2008, with its expanding freight brokerage business to handle oversized, overweight and over-dimensional cargo.
“Three years ago, we started positioning ourselves to capitalize on the accelerated growth of domestic power, manufacturing, and infrastructure, specifically data centers,” Jetco President Kyle Kristynik said in a statement.
The company has added four specialized trailers this year, including two Faymonville multimax trailers capable of hauling 125,000 pounds each, a Goldhofer trailer rated for 180,000 pounds and a Fontaine hydraulic removable gooseneck trailer with a 55-ton capacity in a 16-foot footprint.
Jetco said the division will combine its own trucks and trailers with prequalified third-party carriers to manage complex industrial shipments, and plans to collaborate with Canadian sister companies Precision Specialized and Scott Woods Transport on specialized, heavy-haul and out-of-gauge freight. Jetco, part of Canadian transportation company The GTI Group, operates from its Houston headquarters and maintains facilities in Pasadena, Freeport and Dallas, Texas.
Why it matters
The report highlights how Mexican agricultural imports sustain U.S. trucking jobs, refrigerated distribution networks and freight activity far beyond the border. With nearly all avocado volume crossing at Pharr and Laredo, the corridor’s capacity and cold-chain reliability directly shape the cost and speed of delivering the fruit to U.S. consumers.
Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
