Mexican poultry sector objects to Brazilian chicken imports

Mexico’s National Union for Poultry Farmers (UNA) have formally lodged their objection with the Ministry of Economy’s (SE) Federal Commission on Regulatory Improvement (COFEMER), regarding the tariff-free import of 300,000 tonnes of chicken from Brazil.

“We need to have urgent talks with the Ministry of Economy, to see how Mexican domestic production, both egg and chicken meat, is guaranteed,” said the president of the UNA, Jorge García de la Cadena Romero.

“It is not necessary to extend the dates of quota imports from third countries which Mexico do not have treaties or trade agreements with, and therefore Mexico should favour the free trade agreements that we have at this time,” he said.

The leader of the poultry farmers emphasised that the document delivered to COFEMER “is official and in it we try to explain to the Ministry of Economy that the poultry sector is restructured and able to produce enough chicken and eggs to supply the domestic market.”

Garcia de la Cadena Romero said, Brazil produces over 13 million tonnes, they are the top exporters in the world, and the damage would be fatal because it would displace Mexican poultry.

This decision, he said, is a threat to poultry and “puts us in a difficult situation and a question mark over future investments” because we would have no certainty that we could continue to grow and produce.