Agri-Food Trade Balance Registered a Surplus of US$955 million

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) reported that during the first two months of 2023, Mexico’s agri-food trade balance registered a surplus of US$955 million for the ninth consecutive year during this same period.

According to the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) and the Agri-food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP), during January-February 2023, agricultural and agro-industrial exports amounted to $8.3 billion, which represented an annual increase of 7.85% compared to the first two months of 2022. Vegetables, beverages and fruits were the main export groups, accounting for 61% of the total, with 24%, 19% and 18% participation, respectively. 

SADER pointed out that the vegetable, plant, truffle and root sector was the most dynamic during the first two months of 2023, with growth of 25.4% over the same period last year. Crops with the highest sales abroad were avocado with US$545 million, tomato with US$483 million, pepper with US$385 million, strawberry with US$267 million, cucumber with US$182 million and citrus fruits with US$169 million. Furthermore, crops including cabbage with US$154 million, almonds, nuts and pistachios with US$120 million, onion US$88 million, melon, watermelon and papaya with US$77 million, unroasted coffee with US$66 million, durum wheat with US$42 million, cotton with US$40 million, banana with US$39 million as well as guava, mango and mangosteen with US$33 million also contributed significantly to the positive trade balance.

For the agro-industrial sector, the federal agency stated that the exports that contributed the most value to the surplus between January and February 2023 were beer with US$757 million, tequila and mezcal with US$616 million, bakery products with US$386 million, sugar with US$255 million, confectionery without cocoa with US$176 million, canned fruit with US$$137 million, pork US$119 million, vegetables cooked in water or steam with US$117 million and frozen orange juice with US$94 million.

At the end of 2022, the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors announced a surplus of US$5.806 billion. This turned out to be the fifth largest positive balance in 28 years, derived from US$50.1 billion worth of exports and US$44,327 of imports. Luis Fernando Haro, Director, The National Agricultural Council of Mexico (CNA) said that the USMCA treaty has opened doors for Mexican exports to grow in the US market. “Nearly 70% of the vegetables and 51% of the fruits that Mexico exports go to the US,” he said. “There is a lot of work behind these results, including certifications in safety and quality areas, improvement of production processes and relationships with collaborators,” he added.