Mexico Establishes Tariff Quotas On Imports Of Rice, Pork, And Beef

On January 5, 2026, the Ministry of Economy issued three executive orders assigning tariff quotas applicable to certain tariff items, including paddy rice, certain cuts of pork, and certain cuts of beef. Find out all the details of these measures here:

Overview and implications of the quotas

Until December 2025, the products in question were exempt from import tariffs to ensure supply at affordable prices. However, the Mexican government has taken a stance that seeks to protect domestic industry through this tariff quota, as well as other measures. An example is the elimination of various goods —including pork and beef— from the decree that exempts tariffs and provides administrative facilities for basic products, as explained in another post.

With these new quotas, goods that exceed the set amount (tons) will pay the applicable tariff under the General Import and Export Tax Law (LIGIE). In other words, such goods may be imported without paying tariffs up to the quota amount, and once that amount is exceeded, the tariff established in the LIGIE will apply.

Mexican tariff items involved

• Paddy rice

• Pork

• Beef

Validity of the quota

The quota tariff will be in effect as of January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, and the executive orders will enter into force on January 6, 2026.

Origin of products affected by the quota

This tariff quota applies to countries with which Mexico does not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), such as China, India, Brazil, or Argentina.

However, this tariff quota does not apply to imports originating in the United States of America, Canada, or other countries with which Mexico has an FTA. In such cases, products will continue to enter the country with the preferential tariffs established in each FTA. It is possible that certain FTAs do not have a preferential tariff for the products in question. This should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

In the agreements relating to beef and pork, it is mentioned that the main exporters causing concern are the United States and Canada. This is noteworthy because, according to their design, these tariff quotas should not affect products originating from these trading partners under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). However, it is worth asking: why does the Ministry of Economy decide to mention them?

Method for awarding quotas

The awarding method will be a public tender using the "minimum price" method. This means that the winners of the tender must use the minimum price of the winning bids.

The agreements do not set a fixed date for the public tenders. Rather, they clarify that the announcement for public tenders will be published on the website of the National Foreign Trade Information Service (SNICE), and it will establish the dates and rules governing the public tenders.

Interested parties must submit the following documents to participate:

1. Qualification certificate issued by the Ministry of Economy.
2. Acknowledgment of Receipt of Guarantee.
3. Statement under oath indicating that the bids or offers have not been the result of contracts, agreements, arrangements, or combinations between competitors to establish, arrange, or coordinate bids or offers or abstention from participating in the national public tender.
4. Official identification of the legal representative.
5. Positive opinion of compliance with tax obligations, current and issued by the Tax Administration Service (SAT).
6. Bid form SE-FO-03-034 "Allocation of import and export quotas through public tender" published online.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.