Mexico is the world’s largest beer exporter in terms of both value and volume – good news for U.S. barley farmers and malt producers who supply the main ingredient. Mexico dominates imports of U.S. barley and barley products, purchasing more than 372,000 metric tons (17.1 million bushels) in 2019/2020.

The outbreak of COVID-19 essentially shut down the brewing industry in Mexico in spring 2020 as beer production was deemed a non-essential industry. Some brewers near the border and in rural areas could operate, but malt imports quickly dropped to a third of normal demand.

As large companies resumed production later in the year, the Council was in close contact with key customers to stay tuned-in to their concerns. 

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff connected company representatives from the three largest Mexican breweries with the three largest U.S. barley-producing states – North Dakota, Montana and Idaho – in 2020 to offer crop reports directly from U.S. farmers as supplements to updates on the latest in research and development for barley and malt.

The shift to programming in a virtual setting has also meant Council staff and consultants can not only answer questions for company leaders but also expand participation to include more people from each company and capture greater member engagement from the U.S. barley and malt supply chains.