U.S. border officials are cracking down on an unexpected contraband surge: eggs. While President Donald Trump ramps up efforts to halt fentanyl trafficking at the northern and southern borders, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data reveals egg seizures are dwarfing those of the deadly opioid in 2025, spotlighting a quirky twist in the ongoing U.S.-Canada trade war.
In January and February 2025, CBP intercepted egg products a staggering 3,254 times—more than double the 1,508 seizures from the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, fentanyl seizures plummeted to 134 incidents, down from 197 the previous year. The stark contrast challenges Trump’s narrative of a fentanyl flood from Canada, with only 13.6 grams seized at the northern border in January and less than 20 kilograms over the past year.
Egg Farmers of Canada policy chair Bruce Muirhead attributes the smuggling spike to a perfect storm of avian influenza and soaring U.S. egg prices. With a dozen eggs hitting US$5.90 in February—nearly double last year’s cost—and climbing as high as US$10 in California, Americans are eyeing Canada’s cheaper C$4.89 (US$3.41) dozen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts a further 41.1% price hike this year, fueled by bird flu wiping out millions of laying hens, particularly in powerhouse states like Iowa. “When a farm of two million birds is euthanized, it guts the U.S. egg supply,” Muirhead told .
Muirhead credits Canada’s supply management system for shielding its egg market from such volatility. By aligning production with domestic demand, Canada avoids the wild price swings plaguing the U.S. “Their focus on bigness isn’t sustainable in a world of climate change and rampant viruses,” he said, suggesting Canada could leverage its steady supply as a bargaining chip in trade talks.
Trump’s trade war, underscored by tariffs on Canadian imports, hinges on claims of rampant fentanyl from Canada. “Many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico,” he posted on Truth Social in early March. Yet, CBP data tells a different story: of 4,376 fentanyl seizures since October 2021, just 241 occurred at the Canadian border—less than 1% of the total. Former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who exited office March 14, had countered that seizures at the Canada-U.S. border dropped 97% between December 2024 and January 2025, calling the tariff pretext “shaky at best.”
Bringing fresh eggs or raw poultry into the U.S. is banned due to disease risks, a rule sharpened by the avian flu outbreak. As U.S. shoppers chase Canada’s cheaper, safer eggs, border agents are stepping up enforcement, turning egg smuggling into an unlikely flashpoint in bilateral relations.