Mexico’s agri-food exports top $20 billion in first half of 2020

Mexican agri-food exports rose 4.26% to $20.68 billion during the first half of the year, Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) reported.

The Mexican agri-food product with the highest demand in international markets was beer, with sales of more than $2 billion in that period, according to the Friday report.

Mexico’s other top agri-food exports included:

Avocados, $1.8 billion.
Tomatoes, $1.4 billion.
Tequila and mezcal, $1.04 billion.
Sugar and sweeteners, $949 million.
Peppers and chiles, $873 million.

Exports of wheat registered the biggest jump, increasing 116% during the first six months of the year, compared to the same period last year. It was followed by pork, 43%; corn, 39%; coffee, 22%; and onion and garlic, 22%.

Avocados registered a 21% increase; followed by tomatoes, 19%; bakery products, 15%; and tequila and mezcal, 16%.

Mexico reaches an agri-food surplus of 19% in the first half of 2020, with year-over-year international sales increasing 4.26%.

In monthly terms, agricultural exports registered an annual increase of 31.5% during June, compared to the same time last year, with $1.8 billion in sales.

“This is the highest monthly increase so far this year, due to the export dynamics of the agricultural sector and the demand for Mexican products in international markets,” SADER officials said in a statement.

Mexico exported $472.3 billion worth of goods around the world in 2019. The majority of Mexico’s exports are motor vehicles, auto parts, gasoline, computer chips, computers, liquefied natural gas, electrical machines and medical equipment.

Mexico’s top trading partners in 2019 were, in descending order, the U.S., Canada, Germany, China, Brazil, Japan, Colombia, the United Kingdom, South Korea and the Netherlands.

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