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Expand your business by
exporting your products to
Mexico
Como importar productos
de los Estados Unidos | |
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USDA’s Mexican
Mission Publication | April 2, 2009 |
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ASK THE
EXPORT EXPERT
This is your opportunity to ask any question, or put aside any doubts, regarding exporting and market access in MEXICO, the Unites State’s second largest agricultural export market. There is no question too small for the Mexico Export Expert. Each newsletter will answer the most frequently asked question(s) to help fellow exporters. If you would like your question to be kept confidential, please alert the Mexico Export Expert in your message.
All questions will be answered within 2 working days.
Please send your inquiries to
TheMexicoExportExpert@usda.gov
FAS’ Offices in Mexico
ATOMexico@fas.usda.gov
ATOMonterrey@fas.usda.gov
Calendar of Upcoming Events
ANTAD Prep Course – WEBINAR - Learn about the Mexican Retail Industry, the Business Environment and the Market. 02/18 @ 11am EST
Contact: Valerie.Brown-Jones@fas.usda.gov
Expo Carnes –USAPEEC Mexico will participate in the largest meat trade show in Latin America (02/25-27; a bi-annual event), Guadalajara, Mexico
Contact: aldeleon@usapeec.org.mx
ANTAD –Largest Retail Food Trade Show in Latin America. 03/11-13, Guadalajara, Mexico
Contact: Rosa.Rivera@fas.usda.gov
Alimentaria –Mexico's Important Food and Beverage International Show Focused Upon Servicing the Food Service and the Retail Market in Mexico. 06/2-4, DF
Contact: Pia.Cortes@fas.usda.gov
Exphotel – Mexico’s Largest HRI Show for the Mexican Caribbean Region. 06/17-19, Cancun, Mexico
Contact: Lourdes.Guzman@fas.usda.gov
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Bringing Export News and Opportunities to Your Doorstep from Your Southern Neighbor. | Volume 1, Number 1 | “Unas Palabras” from the Director of the Agricultural Trade Office, Mexico City
The Mission of the U.S. Embassy’s Agricultural Trade Office in Mexico City is to promote U.S. agricultural and food products. We offer a wide variety of marketing programs and services to support you in understanding the Mexican market and product promotion. We continue to strive to find new ways of conveying information to our clients and we are pleased to introduce our latest publication the “Hot Tamale” newsletter. The newsletter will provide U.S. exporters with pertinent information on the Mexican market, exporting tips, a schedule of upcoming events, and trade impacting news.
U.S. companies interested in exporting food or agricultural products must consider exporting to Mexico. Mexico continues to be a dynamic and vibrant market for U.S. agricultural products. In 2008, total U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico reached a record high $14.96 billion dollars. This record level means Mexico is poised to over take Canada as the number one U.S. export market position. The Mexican market will remain a good bet for U.S. exporters, not only because of its proximity to the United States, but because growth has remained constant over the past 5 years. So, we encourage you to read the Hot Tamale for up-to-date market information that we hope serves U.S. exporters well.
Knock, Knock – Abre La Puerta – Border Trouble Shooting
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The Agricultural Trade Office in Monterrey is strategically located in Northern Mexico to assist U.S. exporters with problems encountered during the border entry process. If you have a shipment that has been detained or rejected, please don’t hesitate to contact the ATO for assistance. To better serve you please be prepared to provide the following information to the ATO staff: |
1. a detailed description of the problem
2. where the shipment is being held
3. name and contact information of the freight forwarder handling the shipment
4. export certificates accompanying the shipment
5. (if available) the SAGARPA document describing the rejection, also known as the “RTI”
6. (if available) the name(s) of the SAGARPA or Customs officials involved in the issue
Once we have this information, ATO Monterrey will attempt to contact the border entry officials and the freight forwarder to confirm the situation and to determine what documentation or action is being requested. There are a variety of issues that may arise during the border entry process. Some, such as documentation errors, can usually be rectified in a timely manner, while other cases are more complicated and may take more time or result in the product being returned to the United States or destroyed.
To avoid border entry problems, exporters should work closely with the importer to ensure their product complies with Mexico’s requirements, which frequently change. Exporters should also ensure that documents and certificates are correct to avoid delays in customs clearance procedures. Feel free to contact ATO Monterrey if you
have any questions about Mexico’s border entry process. |
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Key Development
Mexico to Proceed with Prohibition of “Combos” Packaging
The Mexican government plans to prohibit combo bins on January 30, 2009. The justification for the policy change is that the bins sometimes contain more than one type of meat, which makes effective inspection of incoming shipments more difficult. Click here for the entire story.
AY CARAMBA! SUCCESS!
The American Peanut Council Takes the Show on the Road in Mexico!
During the end of 2008, the American Peanut Council carried out promotional activities with key Mexican customers that import U.S. peanuts and peanut products to Mexico. Click here to read more about APC’s promotions!
 
Global Based Initiative (GBI) Road Show
Nutri Tour – “All Together for Nutrition”
From August 1st through December 19th, 2008, the United Fresh Fruit Road Show was carried out for the third year in a row. During this activity nine* U.S. produce groups joined efforts with the objective of teaching consumers the importance of a healthy diet. This includes the importance of consuming fruit in one’s daily diet, and in the process increased consumers’ awareness of U.S. fruit. The Road Show took place in Mexico’s most important cities – Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – and in supermarket stores, museums, schools, sports clubs and special events as well, reaching 2,140,148 people.
The Road Show made important alliances with key organizations such as the Junior League, DIF, and TV Azteca. As a result of the impact of the Road Show in Guadalajara and the good relationship with Maritza de Camarena, the presenter of TV Azteca’s “La Revista” TV show, TV Azteca the second most important broadcasting company nationwide produced a total of 39 programs on two different local channels (7 and 13) and transmitted a Road Show spots from November 5th to 22nd.
* Participants included California Kiwifruit Commission, California Pear Advisory Board, California Strawberry Commission, California Table Grape Commission, California Tree Fruit Agreement, Northwest Cherries, Pear Bureau Northwest, US Apple Export Council, Washington Apple Commission
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| | Mexico to Proceed with Prohibition of “Combos” Packaging
The Mexican government plans to prohibit combo bins on January 30, 2009. The government’s justification for the ban is that the bins sometimes contain more than one type of meat, which they claim makes effective inspection of incoming shipments more difficult. The policy change will especially impact U.S. turkey exports.
About 70% of the U.S. turkey export volume to Mexico, particularly thigh meat used by the Mexican meat processing industry, is shipped in combo bins.
A recent meeting between representatives of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and their counterparts in the Mexican Department of Agriculture (SAGARPA/SENASICA) provided a degree of hope that both sides could work out an arrangement that would allow the U.S. industry to continue to ship fresh poultry products in combos.
The Mexican Meat Council also met with SENASICA and reported that Mexico is primarily concerned with frozen product packed in combo bins, and is amenable to working to find a better method of inspecting the bins at the border.
While SENASICA has already revised the sanitary import permits for combos, the agency may be receptive to limit the scope of the ban to frozen product, an encouraging development since all U.S. poultry shipped to Mexico in combo bins is fresh.
USAPEEC’s Mexico Office has been working with a coalition of industry groups, including USMEF, COMECARNE and the Mexican Association of Federally Inspected Plants (ANETIF) to convey the message to the Mexican government about the negative consequences of the ban on combo bins.
For more information please contact Jose Luis Cruz at: jlcruz@usapeec.org.mx
Cooperative Promotions with APC’s Key Customers in Mexico
During the end of 2008 the American Peanut Council carried out different promotional activities with key customers that import U.S. peanuts and peanut products. These activities include:
Botanas Bokados: Important processor of snacks, including peanuts, located in the north of Mexico.
Activity: Production of 13,400 Point of Sale Signs for mom & pop stores.
Mafer Peanuts: A peanut snack brand that is part of Sabritas (Frito Lay Mexico), the biggest snacks processor in Mexico.
Activity: Promotion and sampling of US peanuts in supermarkets
Dates: End of December 2008 and January 2009
Cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. 552 promotion days in 46 different stores
Aladino Peanut Butter: An important peanut butter brand in Mexico which is imported from the United States. This brand has a long tradition in the Mexican market.
Activity: Promotion and education about peanut butter taste and nutrition benefits for kids in primary schools located in Nuevo León, Sonora, Puebla, Veracruz, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Mexico City and State of Mexico through Profesor Chiflado concept. 90,000 direct impacts among children 5-8 years old were generated from September to December 2008.
Azteca Marzipan: Important marzipan brand in the north of Mexico. This marzipan brand has a long tradition especially in Monterrey. Azteca Marzipan is now part of Botanas Bokados.
Activity: Production of 9,037 Point of Sale Signs for mom & pop stores.
Jif Peanut Butter: Jif Peanut Butter entered to the Mexican market in 2005. Since then the brand has been growing its market share in Mexico.
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