Egg smuggling soars at U.S. borders amid price surge
According to American public radio NPR, U.S. customs services are noting an increase in egg smuggling across the borders, while the number of fentanyl seizures — which former President Donald Trump has mentioned many times — is decreasing. The problem has intensified during the ongoing egg crisis in the U.S.
In the U.S., egg prices have skyrocketed due to the bird flu epidemic. The country is importing eggs, and the problem of illegal egg smuggling at the borders is increasing. NPR reports that the American customs agency recorded a 48% increase in raw egg seizures at the northern and southern borders compared to last year’s data.
U.S. increase in egg seizures at the borders
The egg smuggling problem is visible in San Diego, where the number of seizures of illegally smuggled eggs increased by 158%. At the same time, the number of fentanyl seizures, a dangerous opioid used by humans as a drug, has decreased. In February, American customs officials seized smuggled fentanyl 63 times, compared to 95 such cases a year earlier, NPR reports.
The bird flu epidemic in the U.S., caused by the H5N1 virus, has affected over 170 million birds since the beginning of 2022. Just in the current fiscal year, customs officials have intervened 5,572 times regarding the illegal transport of eggs.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the administration is preparing agreements to import eggs from additional countries. "We are talking about hundreds of millions of eggs in a short period," Rollins said, predicting that a further supply will help lower egg prices. The Department of Agriculture has already confirmed agreements with Turkey and South Korea.
The article has been adjusted for Canadian English and improved for clarity and flow. Metric conversions were not required as the article didn't include such units. The time zone for Eastern Time was irrelevant to the article context, so changes weren't necessary.
