Mexico Beef insights

El FAS projects that beef consumption in Mexico will continue to rise towards 2026, likewise the country has positioned itself as a strategic market for U.S. beef, despite the growth of national production.

Reuters reported that, meanwhile, a delegation led by Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin embarked on a visit to Mexico this Wednesday. Brazil is the world's largest beef exporter and is currently seeking markets that can mitigate the impact of additional U.S. tariffs, as the U.S. tariffs have made trade more complicated for Brazilian beef. Brazilian beef has already been paying a 26.4% tariff outside of the duty-free quota, and now faces an additional 50% tariff imposed by the Trump administration. According to data from Abiec, from August 1 to August 25, Brazil exported 10,200 tons of beef to Mexico, worth $58.8 million. Meanwhile, Brazilian exports to the U.S. (which did not require higher tariffs before August 6) fell to 7,800 tons, worth $43.6 million during the same period. Abiec revealed that imports from Russia and Chile also exceeded those from North America, at 7,900 tons each. Abiec emphasized that Brazilian exports to Mexico have been increasing. From January to July this year, Brazil exported 67,659 tons of beef to Mexico (worth $365 million), almost three times the amount from the same period last year. In the first seven months of this year, Mexico was the fourth-largest destination for Brazilian beef exports, following China, the U.S., and Chile. In 2024, exports to Mexico are expected to be around 46,000 tons, up from just over 5,000 tons in 2023. The association stated that one of Abiec's priorities in Mexico is to negotiate a free trade agreement with the Brazilian government to improve the predictability and competitiveness of Brazilian exports. According to Abiec President Roberto Perosa, Mexico also hopes to "increase the number of authorized Brazilian meat processing plants, diversify suppliers, strengthen food security in Mexico, and consolidate Brazil's position as a strategic partner." When asked if Mexico could replace the U.S., Abiec said "it is not possible to talk about replacement." Perosa stated, "The U.S. is a huge and extremely important market for Brazil... Therefore, we will continue to dialogue with the Brazilian government and U.S. importers to be able to fully rebuild this trade relationship as before." The association stated that in 2024, Brazil accounted for 23.5% of Mexico's beef imports. Abiec also emphasized that Mexico is the eighth-largest export destination for Brazilian agricultural enterprises, accounting for 1.87%. Besides beef, chicken, and pork, the main products Brazil exports to Mexico include soybean products, forestry products, and coffee.

The volume of Mexican purchases of beef increased by 420% from January to June this year, from 3.1 thousand to 16.1 thousand tons.