Tequila distributors in the United States have increased imports due to fear that President-elect Donald Trump will impose 25% tariffs on Mexican products, according to the director of the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), Ramón González, this Friday. .
The director of the body that oversees the production of the Mexican drink indicated that these purchases were requested during the first two weeks of December, something unusual for the US market, which represents 83% of tequila exportstraditional Mexican drink.
González pointed out that they expected this to stop in the middle of the month, but “it turns out that there are big orders in the most important tequila market, also a product of the fear that exists over the issue of tariffs” in the US.
Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20, has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canadaits commercial partners of the T-MEC free trade agreement.
Although the CRT will have clear figures for total sales for 2024 until the second week of January, González considered that these transactions will allow maintain the export volume achieved in 2023.
The CRT estimates to close the year with the production of 481 million liters of tequila, of which 393 million liters are exported, in addition to the consumption of one million 800,000 tons of agaveplant with which tequila is made.
This in a year in which the overproduction of this plant caused a collapse of more than 92% in the price per kilo.
González pointed out that until November 30 they have registered a production of 464 million 200,000 liters of tequila and the consumption of one million 700,000 tons of agave, lower figures than the same period in 2023.
Of the total production, 368 million 800,000 liters of tequila have been exported, mainly to the United States, but also to countries like Germany and Spain, the largest buyers of the drink.
Until November, the CRT registered 42,302 agave producers in the five states that hold the Designation of Origin of tequila, as well as 206 companies producing the traditional Mexican drink and 2,935 brands linked to an authorized producer.
The director of the CRT announced that for the first half of 2025 They will seek recognition from the Guinness Record for the largest number of tequila bottles on display in the Tequila Lab museum, inaugurated at the beginning of December.
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