US border seizures rise as egg prices rise

Written by: Vasantha

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Fines of up to $10,000 (£8,140) can be imposed on people who attempt to smuggle eggs from Mexico or Canada. While egg prices have soared in the US, many people are crossing the border to purchase delicate cargo for half the price. There has been an increase in border seizures.

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Egg prices in the US rose 60% in December. Egg and poultry seizures rose 108% between 1 October and 31 December. As of recently, CBP's San Diego Field Operations director Jennifer De La O tweeted that eggs were being intercepted at more ports of entry.

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Mexican eggs are no surprise to some locals. Some border communities' mini-markets, according to BBC's US partner CBS, charge nearly $8 for a dozen eggs, while Tijuana, Mexico, charges less than $3.

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Some unhappy customers cross the border into Mexico when faced with high prices, according to Anthony Gago, the owner of a market in San Ysidro.

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Mr Gago says our 100-count eggs are $40; separate purchases cost $9.99, and five are obviously more expensive. According to the website Border Report, a carton of eggs usually costs about $3.40 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and $6 in El Paso, Texas.

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Charles Payne, the supervisory agriculture specialist with CBP, advised not to bring them over. The penalties are civil if you fail to declare or smuggle them." Those fines can reach $10,000, according to Mr Payne. Fines range from $300 to $1,000, and those who declare their eggs may avoid fines altogether. Eggs are seized and destroyed.

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We will pick it up without penalizing you if you declare it or if you attempt to smuggle it, Mr Payne says.

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