Mexico's Agro-Export Labor Certificate Is Now Mandatory for Avocado Exports

Mexico's Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social or STPS) published an agreement in the Official Gazette of the Federation on October 1, 2026, identifying the goods whose exports are subject to regulation by the STPS through the Agro-Export Labor Certificate (Certificado Laboral para la Agroexportación or CLA). The agreement identifies avocado, under tariff item/NICO 0804.40.01, as a covered product and entered into effect on the date of publication.

Any company or individual that exports agricultural products subject to non-tariff regulations and restrictions under the Foreign Trade Law must obtain a CLA. Currently, this requirement applies to avocados.

The CLA is a digital document issued by the STPS through its VELAGRO platform. The certificate is issued in the holder's name and is nontransferable. It is a non-tariff regulation and certifies compliance with the labor and social security obligations applicable to those involved in avocado exports.

The CLA must be declared in the customs entry and transmitted digitally as an attachment at the time of customs clearance. Without a valid CLA, the customs authority may prevent the goods from leaving the country at the point of exit.

To avoid complications when exporting products subject to this requirement, such as avocado, companies and individuals should take the following steps:

• Obtain a valid CLA before each customs clearance and coordinate with your customs broker to declare the certificate in the customs entry.
• The certificate demonstrates compliance with labor and social security obligations, such as registration with the Mexican Social Security Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social or IMSS) and the prevention of child labor. Growers, packers, carriers and suppliers should review their compliance status, and related contracts should include provisions addressing compliance and the delivery of required information.
• Review compliance with labor and social security obligations, as well as the documentation required by the VELAGRO guidelines, to avoid delays in obtaining the certificate.
• Monitor future publications to determine whether the CLA requirement is extended to other agricultural export products.

For additional information or questions, please contact the authors.

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