Seriously, What are the Rules for Bringing Eggs Back from Mexico?

If you aren’t aware, eggs are the latest staple good that has soared in price.

And, like toilet paper before it, people close to the border are turning to Mexico for a break.  The New York Times ran a headline just today that says, “The Newest Contraband at the Mexican Border: Eggs”.

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In that story, they report that just since the beginning of the year US Customs agents have “had more than 2,000 encounters with people trying to bring eggs into the United States from Mexico”.

Unlike paper towels and T.P., there are rules already in place against bringing raw eggs back from the SMart in Juarez.  So, what are the rules, and what are the penalties one could face for trafficking contraband hen fruit?

Customs and Border Protection just shared a helpful reminder.

They say there has definitely been an uptick in people bringing prohibited items from Mexico that includes raw eggs and uncooked poultry.  Both of those have been on the no-no list for years.

The CBP says it’s especially crucial for travelers to know because of the 2022-2023 outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Which led to a shortage of chickens and eggs. Which in turn led to higher prices. Which led to people trying to save a buck by shopping in Mexico. It’s an ongoing spiral of bird flu chaos.

What, you may be wondering, might be the consequences of bringing raw eggs from Mexico?  If you declare that you’ve got them, which CPB says you SHOULD do, it looks like they will confiscate your eggs. If you DON’T declare the eggs, it could result in monetary fines. The amount of the fines is “unspecified”.

It sounds like eggs purchased in Mexico can’t be brought…wait for it…” over easy”.

But, if you’re going to take your chances with illegal eggs, I will leave you with a quote from Aesop: don’t put them all in the same basket. Maybe put some in the trunk, maybe some in a wheel well, maybe some in a fake prosthetic leg, etc., etc.