Originally published 27 July 2022
The updated content includes the new tariff extension date; updates to tariffs on Table 1; and updates to export and import figures (including Figure 1).
Mexican Government suspends tariffs on agricultural and fishery products
On 6 January 2023, the Mexican Government extended temporary tariff reductions until 31 December 2023.
Tariffs were removed on additional products, including animal feed inputs.
On 17 May 2022, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a presidential decree (in Spanish). The decree removed import duties on 66 tariff lines covering several agricultural and fishery products.
The suspensions will be in place for one year. They set the tariff rates for all affected products at 0%.
The decree is part of President Obrador’s broader anti-inflation plan called the Package Against Inflation and Scarcity.
Implications for Australian exporters
The tariff reductions make Australian products cheaper to import, increasing their competitiveness.
Exporters should consider working with Austrade and Mexican importers to identify export opportunities on affected products (see Table 1).
The updated full list of commodities with tariff suspensions is available in English from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Table 1: Selected tariffs on Mexican agricultural and fishery imports (in A$)
Commodity | Does Australian have market access? 1 | HS code | MFN Tariff | CPTPP tariff | Reduced tariff2 | Total Australian exports 2021 | Total Mexican imports 2021 |
Live cattle
| Yes | 0102 | 0-15% | 0% | 0% | $1.4b | $94.0m |
Beef
| Yes | 0201 0202 | 20%-25% | 8%-10% | 0% | $9.1b | $1.1b |
Pig meat
| No | 0203 |
20%
| 0% | 0% | $141.9m | $2.3b |
Poultry meat | Yes | 0207 | 0-75% | 0-94% | 0% | $87.5m | $1.7b |
Fresh or chilled fish | Yes | 0302 |
0-15%
| 0-8% | 0% | $397.2m | $2.3m |
Frozen fish
| Yes | 0303 |
0-15%
| 0-8% | 0% | $145.8m | $23.0m |
Fish fillets
| Yes | 0304 | 15% | 0-8% | 0% | $30.4m | $488.7m |
Milk and cream powder | Yes | 0402 |
10-45%
| 0-12% | 0% | $1.3b | $655.5m |
Fresh potatoes | No | 0701 | 0-75%
| 147%3
| 0% | $40.4m | $74.0m |
Onions | No | 0703 | 10%
| 10%
| 0% | $34.4m | $100.8m |
Carrots | No | 0706 | 10%
| 10%
| 0% | $92.6m | $0m |
Dried pod vegetables (incl. beans, lentils) | Yes | 0713 | 0-45% | 0-75%3 | 0% | $1.8b | $282.4m |
Citrus | No | 0805 | 0.2-20%
| 0-8%
| 0% | $454.0m | $40.3m |
Wheat | No | 1001 | 0-15%
| 0-27%
| 0% | $9.4b | $780.8m |
Baked goods, pastry, biscuits | Yes | 1905 | 10% | 0% | 0% | $214.1m | $458.1m |
Animal feed inputs | Yes | 2301 | 0-20% | 0% | 0% | $683.6m | $758.3m |
Source: ABS, UN Comtrade, Official Journal of the Federation (Mexico) and WTO
Retrieved: June 2022
Product tariff rates vary. The exact tariff rates are available on the International Trade Centre Market Access Map website. 1 Not all products listed under the HS4 code have had their tariff rate reduced to 0%. See USDA website.
2 An additional US$0.36 per kilogram duty was also required on some dairy powder products.
3 Staged tariff reductions to 0% by 2032 under CPTPP.
Australian AFF exports to Mexico
Mexico is a large agricultural, fisheries and forestry (AFF) importer. In 2021, Mexico imported US$27 billion in AFF products, up 15.7% from $23.3 billion in 2017. The United States supplied 77.6% of Mexican AFF imports in 2021.
Australian exports to Mexico increased from A$55.7 million in 2017 to A$310.9 million in 2022 (+458%). Export growth has been driven by increased exports of Australian barley, canola and oats (see Figure 1).
Temporary tariff reductions provide more opportunities to increase Australian AFF trade with Mexico.
Figure 1: Australian AFF exports to Mexico, January 2016 to April 2022
Resources
The Australian Government’s network of Agriculture Counsellors provided information for this article. More information about the Agriculture Counsellor network, including contact details, is available on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website.
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