Mexico’s agri-food industry is navigating heightened trade friction, sanitary risks, and market realignments that are shifting regional supply chains. From tariff barriers with its top trade partner to rising foreign competition and livestock health emergencies, domestic producers and policymakers are actively working to build resilience, protect local industries, and diversify international market access.
Key Developments Across the Sector
- U.S. Maintains Tomato Tariffs: The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) confirmed it will keep antidumping duties on fresh Mexican tomatoes. Despite supplying 88.3% of U.S. tomato imports in 2025, Mexican production faces headwinds in 2026 due to extreme weather, currency appreciation, and lower planted acreage, prompting emergency financing and stabilization efforts from the Mexican government.
- New Duties Threaten Strawberry Exports: Preliminary U.S. antidumping margins of 3.37% to 5.28% have been slapped on Mexican winter strawberries. The ongoing investigation places an export market valued at nearly $933 million at risk, directly threatening the livelihoods of 5,000 producers and 151,000 farmworkers in Michoacán and Guanajuato ahead of the upcoming USMCA review.
- Surging Brazilian Chicken Imports Pressure Local Poultry: A 118% jump in duty-free Brazilian boneless chicken breast imports from 2022 to 2025 has led to cumulative losses exceeding 27 billion MXN for domestic producers. The National Poultry Farmers Union is pressing for tariff-rate quotas to replace zero-duty exemptions, warning that $3.5 billion in planned domestic supply-chain investments remain on hold.
- Diversification Drive via Expanded China Trade: To offset Western market dependence, Mexico is deepening agricultural and fisheries ties with China to expand exports of pork, rice, sorghum, and seafood. While joint technical and sustainability initiatives are underway, friction points persist, including Chinese countervailing duties on Mexican pecans and regional friction over illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing fleets.
- Screwworm Outbreak Triggers Emergency Protocols: The northern spread of the New World screwworm has reached Sonora, prompting emergency containment procedures. With cases also appearing in Texas and New Mexico, bilateral partners are ramping up sterile fly production toward a goal of 500 million weekly flies to safely manage cattle trade and protect livestock health.
