As part of its ongoing effort to attract more meat suppliers to the Mexican market, the government of Mexico is now allowing some imports of Brazilian pork, according to a report from the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). 

All Brazilian product must come from the state of Santa Catarina, which is free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and does not vaccinate for FMD, explained Erin Borror, USMEF vice president of economic analysis. Brazilian pork must also be from plants approved for export to Mexico and must go directly into further processing upon arrival.

Borror notes that most exports of US pork to Mexico are chilled, rather than frozen. Through September, the US shipped more than 550,000 metric tons (mt) of chilled pork cuts to Mexico, accounting for 86% market share. She does not expect entry of Brazilian pork to have a significant impact on Mexico’s chilled imports. However, the US also shipped about 40,000 mt of frozen pork to Mexico. This category is more competitive, with the US accounting for about 60% market share. 

European suppliers have made some inroads into the frozen market, especially after Mexico suspended import duties on all pork cuts in May of this year. Borror anticipates that Brazilian exporters could also capitalize to some degree on Mexican processors’ demand for frozen pork cuts, especially during this period of duty-free access.