Jul 26, 2021

Mexico deadline for certification of organic imports approaches

Just five months remain for U.S. exporters selling organic products in Mexico to certify their goods to new Mexican standards.

Meanwhile, the bureaucratic process continues. Mexico recently notified the World Trade Organization of an update to its organic products policy, according to a report from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). 

Since publishing changes in December 2020 to its import procedures for organic product imports under the Organic Products Law (LPO by its Spanish acronym), Mexico notified the measure first to the World Trade Organization’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee and now to the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee, according to a report from FAS officer Daniel Alvarado, who’s assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Mexico City, Mexico.

“Trading partners and domestic/international stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments to Mexico on this notification within 60 days of June 28, 2021,” according to Alvarado’s report. “U.S. exporters of organic products to Mexico are reminded bulk/raw material, as well as processed products, are subject to enforcement of the LPO and other applicable Mexican laws.”

A professional translation of the measure and background information can be found in another FAS report.

“U.S. exporters and certifiers of organic products – raw/bulk material as well as processed – who intend to commercialize their product as organic in Mexico are reminded of their responsibility to comply with Mexican laws well ahead of the January 2022 deadline,” according to Alvarado’s report.

For questions and concerns regarding Mexico’s organic certification and commercialization, contact staff of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, or SADER by email at info.organicos@senasica.gob.mx or by telephone at (+52) 55 5905 1000 – ext. 51509, 51523, or 51532. For presentations and other resources on Mexico’s organics program please visit SENASICA’s website.

The USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service in Mexico City has written a report detailing the history of the issue.

The government of Mexico also has an information page on the LPO law, Q&A document and list of accredited certifiers.