Dive Brief:

• Mexico has begun a formal probe of allegations that U.S. apple growers are dumping fruit at below-cost prices.
• The investigation follows allegations by a fruit growers group in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Under legal agreements between the two nations, U.S. growers have less than a month to collect and submit paperwork refuting the dumping charges. 
• Shipments to Mexico, the largest export market for U.S. apples, are continuing during the probe. 

Dive Insight:

Responding to dumping allegations is a timely and costly endeavor. But U.S. growers have no option. That would be true in even normal times. But this year shippers have particular reason to fear the loss of the Mexican market: labor woes at West Coast ports have already reduced exports to Asian markets.