Browse Data and Analysis

Mexico was the second largest export market for U.S. agricultural products in 2023, with total U.S. exports valued at $28.6 billion. Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.2 percent in 2023, making its economy the 12th largest globally.

Following a year of exceptional drought conditions in marketing year (MY) 2023/2024, the outlook for Mexican grain production in MY 2024/2025 is higher year-on-year for corn, wheat, rice, and sorghum based on producer expectations for a gradual recovery to average precipitation levels.

On May 21, 2024, the Government of Mexico published a modification to the Federal Law of Animal Health. The update strengthens the penalties for non-compliance with the law and lists substances banned for use in livestock intended for human consumption.

Trade in organic products between the United States and Mexico is flourishing, reaching record highs in 2023. The top five organic exports from the United States to Mexico in 2023 were apples, pears, grapes, spinach, and lettuce.

Mexico’s 2024 tomato production is forecast at 3.30 million metric tons (MMT), a two percent increase over 2023, driven by export demand and investment in protected agriculture systems.

New export establishment registration applications that have been submitted in the U.S. FDA Export Listing Module (ELM) and GACC Bureau of Import Export Food Safety (BIEFS) China Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER) system since January 2022 are now being processed to allow U.S. exporters to register their manufacturing, processing, and storage facilities subject to Decree 248.

On May 8, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) announced the issuance of new and renewed biosafety certificates for genetically engineered (GE) and gene-edited events.

Post increased its estimate of raw milk production in 2024 due to a larger dairy cow inventory. Imports of fluid milk, whole milk powder (WMP), and skimmed milk powder (SMP) are estimated to all decline in 2024 due to higher domestic milk production.

Mexico’s milk, cheese, and butter production are forecast year on year growth of two percent in 2024. Dairy farmers are expected to mitigate the impacts of prolonged drought and heat conditions with previously stored forage, increased feed grain imports, and water storage mechanisms.

Mexico’s coffee production for marketing year 2024/25 is forecast at 3.89 million 60-kilogram bags. This represents a slight increase from previous years, driven by incentives to plant due to favorable coffee prices and ongoing efforts to improve coffee varieties.

FAS has received inquiries about several websites that offer facility registration to export various food and agricultural products to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Many of these websites, however, are not official PRC government websites. Exporters should register their facilities through official government websites or through a U.S. government agency.

On April 8, 2024, People's Republic of China (PRC) authorities updated the list of commodities, which includes 13 food and agricultural products, that are subject to import tariffs or limitations in border trade across foreign ports of entry with multiple Chinese provinces.