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The competent Mexican authorities which regulate food and agricultural imports and/or require official U.S. export certificates include the Secretariat of Agriculture (SADER), Secretariat of Health (SALUD), Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), and the Secretariat of the Treasury and Public Credit (HACIENDA).

This document provides an overview of major Mexican agricultural and food-product laws and regulations, as well as related import standards and regulations. Some products may be subject to regulatory oversight by several different Government of Mexico (GOM) agencies. Post recommends that U.S. food and agricultural exporters work with experienced and established customs brokers and importers.

Even as Mexico's consumers face high core and food inflation, post sees both overall dairy production and imports rising in 2023. Mexico’s milk and cheese production is forecast to rise in 2023 due to increased investments in dairy operations in key producing areas.

On October 19, 2022, the Government of Mexico published a decree to temporarily exempt select importers from payment of import duties for certain goods and to facilitate administrative procedures as applied to the importation of select basic goods (mostly food items).

Taiwan MY 2023 fluid milk production is forecast to increase to 465,000 MT. During the supply chain disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, milk imports declined by 17 percent in MY 2021, pushing local producers to exceed production expectations to meet high demand.

Taiwan is the United States' sixth largest export market for food and agricultural products. With the highest GDP per capita in Eastern Asia, the island imported over US $30 million of coffee from the US in 2021.

Taiwan’s GDP per capita is expected to surpass Japan and Korea, making its consumers with the strongest spending power in Eastern Asia. At the same time, demand for international sweets and snacks are growing as consumers compensate for not being able to travel abroad. ATO-Taipei conducted retail research on popular products and origins to show market opportunities and preferences.

On September 20, 2022, the Congress of the State of Mexico (one of Mexico’s 32 states) approved the Law for the Promotion and Protection of Local Corn Varieties. The law states that the Government of the State of Mexico will cooperate with Mexico's federal authorities to ensure that local corn varieties in the state are free of genetically engineered (GE) corn.

FAS-Mexico forecasts a nearly 6 percent decrease in sugar production to 6.16 million metric tons raw value (MMT-RV) during marketing year (MY) 2022/23 due to lower rainfall levels and higher input prices. Production for MY2021/22 increased by 8.2 percent to 6.56 MMT-RV, mainly driven by an abundance of rainfall during critical growing months, lower input costs, and historically high prices creating incentives to maintain planted area.

In 2021, exports of U.S. agricultural and related products to Mexico totaled $25.5 billion. In spite of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and logistical challenges, Mexico remained one of the most consistent markets for U.S. food and agricultural exports, especially for foodservice products. Mexico continued to maintain its open-door policy and welcomed 31.8 million international tourists in 2021, which boosted its hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) industries following a sharp decline in 2020.

On October 3, 2022, the Office of the President of Mexico announced the Opening Agreement against Inflation and Scarcity (APECIC) between the Government of Mexico and fifteen private companies, aimed at combatting food price inflation. The agreement extends through February 2023 and pledges to reduce the prices of 24 basic goods (mostly food items) by eight percent.

Taiwan is the seventh-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports. Taiwan has vibrant urban communities and a highly developed e-commerce industry that provides convenience for customers, all which support Taiwan’s continued demand for safe and high-quality food products. In addition, evolving consumption trends suggest customers are increasingly looking for western-style food options that cannot be locally sourced. Since domestic food production alone cannot match increased food demand, agricultural imports will continue to play an important role in Taiwan’s retail food economy. While trade barriers exist and competition intensifies, opportunities to increase U.S. agricultural exports remain promising.