Mexico has expanded the market opening for Brazilian pork.

From now on, Brazil will be able to export the product in natura, without having to undergo thermal processing before being sold to consumers.

With the sanitary requirements and the International Health Certificate (CSI) agreed between the two countries, on the last day 10, the commercialization becomes for raw pork, whole or in pieces, including CMS (Mechanically Separated Meat) and bacon, with no restriction on its direct trade, without the need for processing.

According to the Secretariat of Commerce and International Relations (SCRI), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the health requirements and CSI negotiated last November restricted the destination of pork exported to Mexico only for thermal processing product, and the importer needed to be a SIF (Federal Inspection Service) establishment and would have to have the entire process tracked for commercialization.

This restriction allowed only a small group of companies in the meat processing industry to import Brazilian pork, an operation that, from now on, can be done by any supermarket chain, trading or direct importer.

According to SCRI's perspectives, the expansion of the Mexican market for Brazilian pork represents significant potential for animal protein in Brazil, and demand meets the Mexican need to increase supply volumes to the country's population.

Six slaughter and processing plants were already enabled, and three more are expected to be enabled. The qualifications are from plants that are already empowered to export to the U.S. and Canada.

According to SCRI data, Mexico was the world's second largest importer of fresh pork in 2021, with 917,000 tons, behind China alone.