The avocado tariff is on hold

A microcosm of the folly of Trumponomics

For the young Rudolph Hass, life was a series of frustrations.

He couldn’t join the US Army during World War I because of a heart condition. In 1923, he moved with his wife Elizabeth from Milwaukee to Pasadena, where he knocked on doors to sell, at first, socks and ties door-to-door, and then, washing machines. Two years later, Hass joined the post office and delivered mail for 25 cents an hour, but continued to dream bigger.

A magazine article gave him the idea that there was a fortune to be made in growing avocadoes. Hass happened on a variety of avocado that was particularly tasty and high-yielding, and today, the multi-billion-dollar avocado industry rests on his accidental discovery.

It’s that industry which is facing disruption due to the 25% tariff President Donald Trump just imposed on products from Mexico, where most of the avocados Americans consume are grown. On Monday, Trump backed off a bit, after a call with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. He paused the tariffs for 30…