Imported wines dominate the Mexican market, with a market share of approximately 60%, according to an analysis by Wine Australia.
Wine Australia is a statutory corporation of the Australian government that promotes and regulates the Australian wine industry.
In 2022, Mexico imported approximately 169 million liters of wine worth more than $730 million.
Spain is the leading country of origin of Mexican wine imports by volume, followed by Chile, Italy, Argentina and the United States.
By value, Spain, Chile, Italy and Argentina are the leading countries.
Wine from each of these countries enters Mexico duty free. Australia’s import tariffs are decreasing under the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TIPAT), but not all categories have reached zero tariff.
Mexico has a long winemaking history that began in the 16th century with the arrival of the Spanish, making it the oldest wine region in the Americas.
Currently, Mexico has about 60 wineries, most of them in Baja California, where about 90% of Mexican wine is produced.
Imported wines
Average wine consumption remains low in Mexico, but is growing steadily, especially among the middle classes and people between the ages of 25 and 35.
In addition, Wine Australia reports that per capita consumption in Mexico is estimated at approximately 1.5 liters per person per year.
Beer and tequila are the most popular alcoholic beverages and are not subject to the 25-30% excise tax applied to wine.
Brandy and fortified wines are also very popular.
While most wine sells between 100 and 200 pesos at retail, red wine represents the best-selling category in the market, with a 60% share of sales by volume.
The large cities of Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Puebla are the main centers for wine sales in Mexico, but tourist areas, such as Cancun, are also important wine markets.
Australia and Mexico are parties to TIPAT, which was signed by the 11 countries on March 8, 2018.
TIPAT entered into force at the end of 2018. Australia also initiated negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement on June 30, 2017 with the Pacific Alliance trading bloc of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The Pacific Alliance FTA is still under negotiation.