Affected by factors such as bird flu and rising feed and transportation costs in the United States, domestic egg prices have remained high, and the number of people trying to smuggle "eggs" from the US-Mexico border has increased by nearly 400%.

(Associated Press)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] Many countries have recently faced egg shortages and egg price increases. According to analysis by food research organizations and foreign media, it is caused by factors such as bird flu, rising feed and transportation costs.

U.S. border officials pointed out that the number of people trying to smuggle "eggs" from the U.S.-Mexico border has soared by nearly 400% recently, because the price of eggs in the U.S. remains high, with an average of a dozen eggs rising to $4.25 (about NT$127). The average price in Mexico is only US$2.71 (approximately NT$82).

According to comprehensive foreign media reports, the latest data from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows that, compared with the same period last year, San Diego, California, from January 11, 2022 to January 23, 2023, at the US-Mexico border The number of eggs seized increased by 397.54% compared with the previous year; in addition, the border city of Tucson (Tucson, Arizona) increased by 320.25%, and Laredo (Laredo, Texas) increased by 313.08%.

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CBP spokesman Roger Maier said that more and more people are trying to transport eggs from the northern Mexican border city of Juarez to El Paso, Texas, mainly due to the U.S. The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused the death of tens of millions of poultry in the United States. In addition, Wuhan pneumonia (new coronavirus disease, COVID-19) ravaged the world, resulting in increased feed, transportation and packaging costs. Not high enough.

However, the CBP spokesperson also pointed out that most of the drivers seized were not really "smuggling" or "smuggling" eggs, because they did not understand that it was illegal to transport eggs at the border, and they would voluntarily declare during the initial inspection , "Once they are seized, the public can directly choose to give up these eggs, so that they will not be regarded as smuggling, so it is not so much a smuggling, it is more like a person carrying eggs when traveling", and the undeclared and seized Smugglers will face a fine of US$300 (approximately NT$9,097).

Separately, the average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs in the U.S. rose from $1.92 to $4.25 between January and December last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; The wholesale price of 1 kg of eggs in general grocery stores (equivalent to a dozen large A-grade eggs) is about 30 to 51 pesos, which is about US$1.59 to US$2.71 (about NT$48 to 82).