Profepa Christmas tree import inspection program, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Mexico’s Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) began its Verification and Inspection Program for Imported Christmas Trees on November 3, which will remain in effect until December 5, 2026. The program aims to prevent the introduction of forest pests and protect the country’s ecosystems.
During the 2025 season, Profepa verified 500,089 Christmas trees imported from the United States. Inspections detected a quarantine-significant pest in a shipment of 785 trees, underscoring the importance of phytosanitary controls at points of entry into the country.
For this season, between 400,000 and 500,000 natural trees of the genera Pinus and Abies, as well as the species Pseudotsuga menziesii, are expected to be imported. The first shipment, consisting of 2,803 trees, entered through Mexicali and was confirmed free of pests after review.
Inspections will take place at verification points in Mexicali and Tijuana in Baja California; Nogales and San Luis Río Colorado in Sonora; Zaragoza in Chihuahua; Piedras Negras in Coahuila; Colombia in Nuevo León; and Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa in Tamaulipas. Profepa staff will check the trees’ phytosanitary conditions and accompanying documentation through visual checks, random or targeted sampling, and verification of compliance paperwork.
Profepa says it will deploy inspectors with extensive experience and tools to detect possible pests or diseases across the review points. Mexico hosts a significant diversity of pine species, so the introduction of exotic forest pests could pose risks to forest health, ecological balance, and forest-related productive activities.
When inspections identify signs of a pest or disease, samples will be taken for taxonomic identification by the Directorate General of Forest Management, Soils and Ecological Planning of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). Phytosanitary measures will be determined based on the technical opinion.
If a quarantine pest is confirmed, the shipment will be returned to its place of origin under applicable regulations; if the pest does not pose a quarantine risk, the lot may be released once it meets the established requirements.
The program is carried out under the International Plant Protection Convention and NOM-013-SEMARNAT-2020, with the goal of strengthening surveillance at entry points and preventing the introduction and spread of organisms that could affect Mexico’s forest ecosystems.
