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Belize’s efforts to secure continued access to the Mexican market for its cattle exports have received a significant boost following successful diplomatic engagements with Mexican authorities regarding a key trade measure affecting the livestock sector. Earlier this week, Mexico renewed a decree that suspends the fifteen percent import tariff on Belizean cattle entering that country, providing continued relief for local cattle producers and exporters who depend on the Mexican market. The renewal follows ongoing discussions between Belizean officials and their counterparts in Mexico aimed at maintaining favorable trade conditions and strengthening agricultural cooperation between the two neighboring countries. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Oscar Arnold, says Belize has been actively engaged in dialogue with Mexican authorities on the matter and welcomed the decision to renew the decree.
CEO Oscar Arnold, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade: “We need to remember that there’s a lot of moving parts when it comes to the export industry of cattle. One of the big hurdles that happened I believe early last year was the New World Screwworm that was wrecking havoc on farms and cattle farmers first South America then Central America then it moved into Belize but Mexico has also been impacted. We have a presidential decree that ended December 31, 2025 and so at the expiration of that decree Mexico had in place a few items when it came to the importation where then there would be a 15% tariff that would be automatically levied on any imports of cattle on the hoof, live cattle. From my understanding and information I was given there were some previous purchases by the company Su Carne that we were delivering cattle to them and that went up until April or May where those deliveries were being made. A new round of purchases would start in June and July and continue throughout the rest of this year that is where the new tariff or the 15% tariff would then kick in. So we had to engage the Mexicans on the request of the office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture. We had to engage PALACIO which is the office of the president in Mexico to look at the decree and to have them either reinstate it or issue a new decree to say that the 15% tariff would be removed from the importation or the purchase of cattle that come from Belize. We’ve had a breakthrough. I met with the Chief of Staff of the President’s office in Mexico a little bit prior to my departure, there was a follow up meeting with Prime Minister Briceño and we’ve received indications earlier this week that the decree will be put in place and that the 15% tariff would be removed. We’ve been informed verbally as well as the principals at Su Carne have been advised of this and so now it’s just for procedural matters for the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture on the Mexican side for them to have the paperwork and everything in place.”
The tariff exemption has been viewed as critical for Belize’s cattle industry, which has increasingly relied on export opportunities to Mexico.
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