Major pork producers Cranswick, Karro Food Group and Pilgrim’s Pride are among 12 UK businesses to have secured export access to the Mexican market.
A new zero tariff agreement with Mexico, including access specifically for Northern Irish exporters, created a “new pathway for additional opportunities in the Mexican market”, worth at least £19m over the next five years, Defra said.
The sector-specific deal follows eight years of negotiations between Mexican and UK authorities led by Defra, alongside the Food Standards Agency, Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs and “other industry partnerships”, with support from the Department for Business & Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
It comes as consumption of pork in the country rose by 5.4% from 2019 to 2024.
Other businesses to benefit from the deal include Wrexham-based Thermotraffic, Chesterfield-based Magnavale, ABP Cold Store in Hull, Americold Spalding, Turners (Soham) and Interfrigo in Antrim.
Existing 20% tariffs on all other UK pork exports to Mexico will also come to an end once it has ratified the UK’s accession last December to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – in a move that would “make quality British produce even more competitive in this growing market”, said Daera minister Andrew Muir.
In addition to market access to British favourites such pork chops, the aforenamed businesses will also now be able to export offal and edible byproducts, “bringing British pig farmers a return on parts that are less popular in the UK but which Mexican consumers relish as part of classical buche meat dishes”, Defra said.
“Sustaining and growing the export market is essential for optimising the full value of British pig carcases, which in turn helps strengthen prices for UK farmers at the farmgate,” it added.
The deal was described as a “tremendous win for our pork producers and builds on our recent success in resuming exports to China”, said food security and rural affairs minister Daniel Zeichner.
“It demonstrates this government’s unwavering commitment to securing better trade deals for British farmers and food producers and will boost their incomes as part of our Plan for Change.”
Gaining market access and “broadening the scope of our pigmeat exports to the significant Mexican market is very welcome news and a testament to our levy payers’ work in providing world-class products, produced to the highest standards”, said AHDB international trade director Jonathan Eckley.
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