Mexico now the world’s 8th largest agro-food exporter
Mexico’s agro-food exports continue to rise. According to recent WTO figures, its agro-food exports surpassed those of India and Argentina in 2020, making it the world’s 8th largest agro-food exporter. The positive trend is continuing in 2021.
Mexico’s agro-food exports have been rising steadily over the last years. In 2010, Mexico’s agro-food exports accounted for 1,4% of global agro-food exports; 10 years later, in 2020, they made up 2,3% of global agro-food exports. In 2018, Mexico entered the world’s top 10 list of agro-food exporters for the first time. After occupying the list’s ninth position for two years in a row, it became the world’s eighth largest agro-exporter in 2020, surpassing both India (at number nine) and Argentina (at number 10). According to the World Trade Organisation, Mexico’s agro-food exports that year amounted to 41 billion USD. The European Union – taken as a single exporter – tops the list with 231 billion USD (excluding intra-EU trade).
The upward trend in Mexico’s agro-food exports continued in 2021: Based on information by the Bank of Mexico, the Mexican consultancy firm GCMA reports that from January to July 2021, Mexico’s agro-food exports amounted to 25,7 billion USD, a rise of 12% compared to the same period in 2020
Beer continues to be Mexico’s number one agro-food export product in 2021: with 3,17 billion USD, beer exports were 27% higher than during the same period in 2020 (when beer exports collapsed due to COVID-19 lockdowns imposed on beer breweries). Soft fruit (berry) exports took second place with 2 billion USD (27,8% higher than last year); tequila exports took third place with 1,78 billion USD (41,9% higher than 2020), whereas avocado exports are number four with 1,7 billion USD (3,3% higher than 2020). Beef (meat and cattle) and tomato take fifth and sixth place respectively.