The UNA projects for 2025 a production of 3.88 million tons of chicken and 3.15 million tons of eggs, with an annual growth of 1.73%. The sector contributes 55.5% of the proteins consumed in Mexico, a proportion that confirms its relevance.
Its competitiveness depends on stable access to yellow corn and soybeans of American origin, inputs that represent 55% of the cost of chicken and 63% of eggs. The association recognized that the Treaty guarantees these tariff-free flows, but warned that this balance is not reflected in trade in finished products.
Barriers
Between 2019 and 2024, Mexico increased its imports of American chicken from 567,864 tons to 694,096 tons. In contrast, Mexican exports to the United States were almost nonexistent: about 5.7 tons in 2024, mainly processed product.
Mexican egg production also does not access the US marketdespite the elimination of tariffs under the T-MEC.
“Although the USMCA/NAFTA preserved tariff-free trade in poultry and eggs between Mexico and the United States, real trade flows are unilateral: strong US exports to Mexico and minimal Mexican exports to the United States,” he highlights.
The UNA affirms that this difference does not arise from a lack of competitiveness, but from three barriers: the lack of recognition of disease-free zones; the lack of equivalence in inspection systems; and the lack of defined deadlines for audits and certifications. These conditions, he noted, prevent Mexican chicken and eggs from entering the US market under conditions similar to those of their competitors.
The organization adds that the US health approach applies broad restrictions to localized outbreaks, without considering regions that comply with strict biosafety and surveillance measures. The lack of equivalence also keeps Mexico limited to processed exports, which nullifies any possibility of competing in fresh products.
Added to this is that the lack of mandatory calendars for technical resolutions makes any export planning difficult. According to the UNA, these elements contradict commitments in the trade agreement that require regionalization based on risk, proportionality and transparency.
Corrections
Faced with this scenario, the poultry sector puts four demands on the table to correct the imbalance. The first requests regionalization according to risk, with formal recognition of free zones. The second asks for a clear route with deadlines to obtain the equivalence of inspection systems (FSIS).
The third requires mandatory times for decisions of the Inspection Service of Animal and Plant Health (APHIS) and FSIS. The fourth call protect scientific access to critical inputs—yellow corn and soybeans—that sustain chicken and egg affordability in Mexico and the United States.
The UNA stated that these measures would expand trade in both directions, reinforce North American food security and reduce dependence on external suppliers. The document concludes that the USMCA already contains the appropriate principles, but requires that the United States apply them with reciprocity.
They recognize the benefit in the US
The United States poultry industry is asking the USTR to ensure the continuity of the T-MEC, an agreement that it considers vital for its expansion in Mexico and Canada.
In its official comments, the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) recalled that it represents more than 230 companies that concentrate 95% of US chicken, turkey and egg exports, a sector that exceeds 5.8 billion dollars a year.
Mexico consolidated itself as a key market. In 2024, it acquired American poultry products for almost $1.5 billion and egg purchases of around $169 million.
That year, Mexico absorbed 22.5% of United States chicken exports, 8.5% of egg exports, and 75.2% of turkey exports.
“Tariff-free access under the USMCA has made the Mexican market indispensable for our industry and has contributed to the creation of thousands of jobs in the United States. In addition, the majority of turkey exports to Mexico are destined for further processing, which creates jobs on both sides of the border,” highlights USAPEEC.
Although USAPEEC recognizes progress, it also marked a but. The organization warned that Mexico’s unilateral opening to import chicken without tariffs from any country reduced the US participation from 95% in 2020 to 75.5% in 2024, a loss of close to 250 million dollars for the industry.
“Unfortunately, our industry has had to deal with increased competition in the Mexican market in recent years, as Mexico has granted tariff-free access to chicken imports of all origins since 2021 as part of anti-inflationary measures in key food sectors,” he says.
Even with that challenge, USAPEEC’s conclusion is clear. The benefits of the T-MEC for American poultry farming reach the entire value chain. Not only do they boost companies that export poultry meat, they also strengthen multiple connected industries in the three countries.
