Egg smuggling and seizures rise at the US borders

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seeing a spike in egg smuggling across the US-Mexico border as prices for the breakfast staple have skyrocketed due to the bird flu outbreak in the country.

The devastating outbreak wiped out 33 million egg-laying hens last year.

CBP officials reported 3,254 egg-related seizures in January and February 2025, a 116% jump from the same period in 2024.

Prices rose as much as $10 per carton in some US states last month as shortages affected wholesalers, including Costco and Trader Joe’s. Some even placed restrictions on how many each customer could purchase.

Naturally, people in border towns choose to drive over to Canada or Mexico to get cheaper eggs. A dozen eggs at Walmart in Windsor, Ontario, cost around $2.33 ($3.93 CAD) compared to $5.95 ($8.50 CAD) in the same franchise in Michigan.

While wholesale egg prices slowly fall in America, the drop hasn’t reached grocery shelves. The latest US Consumer Price Index shows a 10.4% annual increase, with eggs costing $5.90 per dozen in February.

Though there is a rise in egg seizures, CBP notes that most people willingly declare the product and hand it over to authorities when confronted.