A shot of aged Tequila Herradura and lemon and salt fixings sit in Mexico City. / Dario Lopez-Mills/AP
MEXICO CITY — Mexico wants China to loosen up and have a little tequila. Actually, lots of it.
Since China President Xi Jinping and Mexico’s Enrique Pena Nieto broke a diplomatic and economic chill and agreed to boost trade, tequila producers have been gearing up to make the world’s most populous country their second-biggest market, after the margarita-loving United States.
The drink synonymous with Mexico already is available in more than 100 countries. But export of the alcoholic beverage to China has been limited by legal and sanitary restrictions.
Chinese authorities changed their rules last week, deciding that the purest and best tequila, known as blue agave, has no detrimental health effects. That has opened the door for businesses in both countries to begin promoting and exploring ways to sell more tequila.
With the purchasing power of 1.3 billion Chinese, tequila producers see a niche market, especially among the emerging upper class.
“The potential of this industry is that in five years, we can reach 10 million liters in exports,” said Ramon Gonzalez, director of Mexico’s tequila promotion council. “Today’s new rich are in China.”
Until the change by health authorities last week, the Chinese couldn’t drink the good stuff made famous by swilling cowboys in many a Western on the big screen.
Because of restrictions on methanol per liter of alcohol, China had only allowed the import of lower-quality tequila made with 51 percent agavesugar , the rest of the sugar a mix from other plants. The methanol content in blue agave tequila was considered too high.
Mexico exports a total of 43.7 million gallons of tequila.
Since China President Xi Jinping and Mexico’s Enrique Pena Nieto broke a diplomatic and economic chill and agreed to boost trade, tequila producers have been gearing up to make the world’s most populous country their second-biggest market, after the margarita-loving United States.
The drink synonymous with Mexico already is available in more than 100 countries. But export of the alcoholic beverage to China has been limited by legal and sanitary restrictions.
Chinese authorities changed their rules last week, deciding that the purest and best tequila, known as blue agave, has no detrimental health effects. That has opened the door for businesses in both countries to begin promoting and exploring ways to sell more tequila.
With the purchasing power of 1.3 billion Chinese, tequila producers see a niche market, especially among the emerging upper class.
“The potential of this industry is that in five years, we can reach 10 million liters in exports,” said Ramon Gonzalez, director of Mexico’s tequila promotion council. “Today’s new rich are in China.”
Until the change by health authorities last week, the Chinese couldn’t drink the good stuff made famous by swilling cowboys in many a Western on the big screen.
Because of restrictions on methanol per liter of alcohol, China had only allowed the import of lower-quality tequila made with 51 percent agave
Mexico exports a total of 43.7 million gallons of tequila.
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