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Venezuelan business owner in Tempe shares story of fleeing his country

An ASU expert weighs in on how potential destabilization in Venezuela and other South American countries could impact Arizona's supply chain.

Isys Morrow

In this article published Jan. 7, 2026, on ABC 15:

Arizona does not import any grocery items from Venezuela, and we do not export too much to Venezuela. From Colombia, the largest import to Arizona is coffee beans, but things like fresh-cut flowers, bananas, avocados and limes are also included. So far, Venezuela and other South American countries seem to be stable, and if that continues, there would not be any impacts to the US economy, including Arizona. But should things destabilize, the bigger impacts could center around mass migration and oil prices.

Hitendra Chaturvedi, NASPO Department of Supply Chain Management professor of practice

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