After more than 10 years of negotiations, on March 21, the first export of Argentine beef to Mexico was finalized from the Ezeiza international airport, where agents of the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) verified the quality of the merchandise shipped.
The commercial sample, coming from the Argentine establishment Arrebeef, consists of a ton of different cuts of bovine meat. It should be noted that there are another 21 establishments that have the authorization to export to this destination.
In the same sense, Acerbi highlighted that "it is very important for the country and the first thing it implies is a great appreciation for the hard work carried out by the public sector both to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and to the Argentine Foreign Ministry, to the Argentine ambassador in Mexico, Carlos Tomada and the ambassador to Argentine, Lilia Rossbach, and to the industry because it knew how to invest, wait and produce for this destination, generating in this case the first shipment of bovine meat and the first precedent".
"Today Argentina has the markets of Canada, the United States and now Mexico, a very important block for the country and for our industry and a very big challenge for Senasa to continue opening other markets," said Vice President Acerbi, during the final certification of the shipment, carried out in Ezeiza.
"This is very important since to open the Mexican meat market implied a great effort from both Senasa and the embassies of both countries and it gives us hope to be the first to be able to export," said Borrel.
On December 2, the health services of Argentina and Mexico agreed on the health certificate that accompanies beef exports to the North American country.
A new step to start Argentine beef exports to Mexico was established when Senasa sent its counterpart from the Aztec country, the National Service for Health, Safety and Food Quality (Senasica), the sanitary certificate with the requirements that both parties previously agreed.
Thus, Mexico opened its market to Argentine beef on November 11, 2022, in what was the conclusion of a negotiation that lasted for more than ten years.
Likewise, in July of last year, a Senasica delegation carried out a comprehensive audit visit to the beef production and processing system where, accompanied by Senasa professionals, they toured breeding farms, laboratories, and industrial establishments.
The final step towards the start of shipments was the agreement between both health services on the requirements of the certificate that will guarantee exports, thus concluding a negotiation process started in 2012. ■