Mexico Takes Steps to Improve Product Flow, Streamline Inspections

Mexico Takes Steps to Improve Product Flow, Streamline Inspections

The government of Mexico has officially published a voluntary user agreement for importers that could significantly improve the flow of U.S. meat exports to Mexico and streamline its inspection processes.

Under the agreement, importers who use a federally-inspected establishment as the final destination for imported meat will still have a certain percentage of their imported loads subject to inspection at the border, but the remainder will be inspected at a processing or cold storage facility. Only 74 of Mexico’s 520 meat importers currently qualify for this program. However, these 74 importers represent about half of the Mexico’s imported meat. 

The user agreement requires traceback of imported meats by use of a bar code scanning/tracking device, which is in line with the mandated traceability program established by Mexico’s new animal health law. Once a load arrives to an approved processing or cold storage facility, the veterinarian officer and/or the facility’s authorized third-party specialist will scan the bar code for that shipment. The inspection must meet or exceed Mexico’s NOM-30 regulations, so sample testing and other inspection procedures will remain the same. In the case of a rejection, the product will still be subject to: (a) return to the exporter, (b) destruction or (c) rendering.

The program could lead to an increase in sample-shipping costs, because most certified labs are located in the northern Mexican states while many of the approved processing and cold storage establishments are located in the central and southern regions of Mexico. However, the program should offer significant benefits in terms of preventing a backup of meat shipments at ports-of-entry on the U.S.-Mexico border and generally improving the movement and inspection of imported products.

Mexico will be testing the system over the next several weeks, and USMEF will provide further information as it becomes available. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact Courtney Heller of the USMEF Export Services Department at 303-623-6328 or cheller@usmef.org.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.

Mexico Takes Steps to Improve Product Flow, Streamline Inspections

The government of Mexico has officially published a voluntary user agreement for importers that could significantly improve the flow of U.S. meat exports to Mexico and streamline its inspection processes.

Under the agreement, importers who use a federally-inspected establishment as the final destination for imported meat will still have a certain percentage of their imported loads subject to inspection at the border, but the remainder will be inspected at a processing or cold storage facility. Only 74 of Mexico’s 520 meat importers currently qualify for this program. However, these 74 importers represent about half of the Mexico’s imported meat. 

The user agreement requires traceback of imported meats by use of a bar code scanning/tracking device, which is in line with the mandated traceability program established by Mexico’s new animal health law. Once a load arrives to an approved processing or cold storage facility, the veterinarian officer and/or the facility’s authorized third-party specialist will scan the bar code for that shipment. The inspection must meet or exceed Mexico’s NOM-30 regulations, so sample testing and other inspection procedures will remain the same. In the case of a rejection, the product will still be subject to: (a) return to the exporter, (b) destruction or (c) rendering.

The program could lead to an increase in sample-shipping costs, because most certified labs are located in the northern Mexican states while many of the approved processing and cold storage establishments are located in the central and southern regions of Mexico. However, the program should offer significant benefits in terms of preventing a backup of meat shipments at ports-of-entry on the U.S.-Mexico border and generally improving the movement and inspection of imported products.

Mexico will be testing the system over the next several weeks, and USMEF will provide further information as it becomes available. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact Courtney Heller of the USMEF Export Services Department at 303-623-6328 or cheller@usmef.org.

# # #

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.