DENVER — Following a record year of performance, US pork exports are continuing to grow by 11% in the first quarter, according to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Mexico imported a record of $2.6 billion in US pork shipments in 2024. Gerado Rodriguez, USMEF Mexico director, noted that over the past 15 years, Mexico’s pork consumption has grown by more than 50%.

“That's due to several reasons,” he said. “Number one is the confidence that people have on the product. Number two is the amount of exposure that people are seeing the product nowadays.”

Rodriguez pointed out that in the mid-1990s when the North American Free Trade Agreement was introduced, pork was still perceived in Mexico as an ingredient that required additional processing. Now, the perception has evolved to where pork is not only seen in the retail sector but also in foodservice at high-end restaurants and in convenience stores.

However, with noticeable growth in Mexico, new competitors are also attracted to the market, with all eligible suppliers having zero-duty access. This makes preserving the duty-free status of US pork all the more important, USMEF said.

“We have over 85% of the market share,” Rodriguez said. “So that means that the relationship between Mexico and the United States regarding pork is very, very important.

“At the end of the day, what we want is, how can we keep the markets open? We don't want to have any retaliation or anything like that.”