Mexico eyes tariff retaliation to level playing field for tequila exports

Mexico volition present stricter commercialized tariff measures for imported alcohols to promote different countries to trim tariffs connected Mexican tequila, Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced during National Tequila Day celebrations connected Friday.  

National Tequila Day, celebrated annually connected July 24, recognizes the world-famous tone for its economical and taste value. Tequila accumulation is simply a root of employment for thousands of families dedicated to agave cultivation and distillation. 

Reconocimiento a la industria del Tequila y program de acción conjunto para aumentar exportaciones a todo el mundo. pic.twitter.com/R06kE34c6N

— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) July 28, 2026

In a presentation, Ebrard emphasized the request to reappraisal and dismantle each commercialized restrictions facing tequila exports to execute much balanced attraction for Mexican products. “If different state applies 150 tariffs connected me, I volition say, ‘Hey, I’m going to enforce restrictions connected your products too,’” explained Ebrard. “It’s going to person to beryllium much balanced.” 

The system curate said that portion Mexico is 1 of the astir unfastened countries to planetary trade, immoderate markets proceed to enforce tariffs of up to 150% oregon regulatory restrictions connected tequila imports. Meanwhile, Mexico imposes fewer restrictions connected the import of akin products from different countries. 

In 2024, tequila exports achieved a worth of astir US $4.2 billion, solidifying the product’s presumption arsenic Mexico’s 2nd astir important agro-industrial export, down beer, according to Agriculture Ministry (Sader) data. Mexican tequila is exported to implicit 120 countries, with yearly exports exceeding 400 cardinal liters.  

It was the lone tone to registry maturation during the past year, with an summation of 1.2%. Global tequila volumes accrued astatine a compound yearly maturation complaint (CAGR) of 7% betwixt 2019 and 2025, and are expected to grow astatine a CAGR of 2% to 2030, according to the planetary beverage information institution IWSR. 

Tequila was granted Denomination of Origin (DO) presumption successful 1974, for its humanities transportation to circumstantial Mexican regions and accepted accumulation practices, making it the archetypal Mexican merchandise to summation this certification. 

The Director General of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), Vidal Llerenas Morales, said that the presumption guarantees that lone tequila produced successful the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Tamaulipas tin legally usage this designation, which helps sphere the alcohol’s accepted characteristics and quality. 

Other Mexican alcohols person since been granted DO certification, including mezcal, bacanora, sotol, charanda and raicilla. 

With reports from El Financiero and El Informador