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By René Hardwick, National Onion Association Director of Public and Industry Relations
Following repeated concerns that Mexican onion imports may be bypassing required inspections at the U.S. border, the National Onion Association (NOA) is pressing federal officials to ensure current marketing order regulations are being enforced.
Under Section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, all onions imported into the United States must meet the same grade, size, quality and maturity standards required of domestic producers through Marketing Order Nos. 958 and 959.
“We’ve been down this road before and successfully addressed similar issues with Canadian onion imports,” said Greg Yielding, executive vice president and chief executive of the NOA. “At the most basic level, this is about enforcing the marketing orders and import standards that already apply to every onion entering the U.S. market. Beyond that, there are additional concerns – including production costs and food safety – that we are raising with the appropriate government agencies.”
Under Section 8e of the Act, all onions imported into the United States must meet the grade, size, quality and maturity standards set under Marketing Order Nos. 958 and 959 during the following periods:
- June 5–March 9 (and year-round for pearl and cipolline onions): Imported onions must comply with the requirements imposed under Marketing Order No. 958, which applies to Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon.
- March 10–June 4: Imported onions – excluding pearl and cipolline – must meet the requirements imposed under Marketing Order No. 959, which applies to South Texas.
The NOA has raised concerns with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service that Mexican onion imports are not consistently inspected at southern border entry points. When required inspections are missed, the association says, imported product can enter the market without the same level of oversight imposed on domestic growers.
Allowing uninspected imports into the marketplace creates an uneven competitive situation, adds pressure to already narrow margins and affects market pricing. It also undercuts the purpose of the marketing orders, which are designed to establish uniform standards for all imports during the marketing year of the orders.
To address the issue, the NOA has formally requested documentation from USDA confirming that inspections of Mexican onion imports are being conducted as required under the respective marketing orders. The association also is seeking records from border inspection facilities and has stated that if inspections cannot be verified, the product should not be permitted entry into the United States.
The NOA says it will continue to advocate for consistent enforcement of existing marketing order regulations and the law, emphasizing that all onion imports – regardless of country of origin – must meet the same minimum standards to compete in the U.S. marketplace.