Organic Exports to Mexico

In April 2017, Mexico implemented a national organic standard, much like the USDA National Organic Program. As they developed and fully implemented their standards, USDA organic crops and products were allowed to be exported to and represented as organic in Mexico.

On December 26, 2020, Mexico amended their regulations and as of June 26, 2021 will require any organic agricultural exports entering Mexico be certified to the Mexican organic standards. USDA is continuing to work with Mexico's Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) to develop an organic equivalency agreement between the U.S. and Mexico. While no equivalence arrangement has been reached yet, on May 7, 2021, Mexico’s agriculture secretariat (SADER) extended the deadline for organic products to be certified to the new Mexico Organic Products Law (LPO) to December 31, 2021. Through 2021, WSDA certified organic products do not require additional certification to be exported to Mexico. You can read the full statement from USDA Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack online.

The full text of the regulation can be found online in the Official Gazette of the Federation. Please note, this webpage is in Spanish.

If no equivalency arrangement is reached by the end of the year, beginning on January 1, 2022, , raw or minimally processed products of either vegetable or animal origin must be certified to Mexican organic standards. These include, but are not limited to, products such as fresh or dried vegetable and fruit products, nuts, seeds, grains, coffee, spices, flours, fresh or frozen meats, live animals, dairy products, and planting material. Our understanding is only the final handler of the product will be subject to the Regulation. For a specific list of the products affected, review Annex 1, Tables (b) through (f) of the regulation.

If no equivalency arrangement is reached by the end of the year, beginning on January 1, 2022, exported products must be accompanied by an organic certificate showing they are certified to Mexican organic standard and a transaction certificate from their organic certifier. Products without these two items may not be represented as Organic within Mexico. Please note, if you are exporting products to Mexico for further processing or handling, they will maintain their USDA organic certification and may still be represented as organic outside of Mexico provided their USDA organic status is maintained.

WSDA Organic Program does not currently certify crops or products to the Mexican organic standard. However, we are actively exploring partnerships and services that will minimize market disruption and support continued trade with Mexico in the event that an equivalency arrangement is not made by the end of the year. To this effect, WSDA Organic Program recently sent out an email to the businesses we certify, asking them to complete a brief survey providing details about the type and volume of organic crops and products they export to Mexico. If you did not receive this email, or if you need a second copy, please contact our office.