U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins led the largest USDA agribusiness trade mission ever assembled during a visit to Mexico City last week. The delegation included forty one American companies, more than thirty commodity groups and advocacy groups, six state agriculture departments, and roughly one hundred fifty total participants. Over the course of three days they completed more than five hundred business meetings with Mexican buyers.
Rollins called the mission an important moment for American agriculture. She said the United States is working to strengthen its trade relationship with Mexico while also pushing ahead on two significant challenges: a coordinated response to the spread of the New World Screwworm in southern Mexico, and continued enforcement of Mexico’s obligations under the long standing Water Treaty.
She met with President Claudia Sheinbaum at the Presidential Palace to discuss joint efforts on Screwworm eradication and the need to keep livestock, trade, and border communities protected. Rollins also highlighted opportunities to increase American exports, including entry into Mexico’s growing ethanol market, and pointed to the upcoming review of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement.
The trip included a visit to Mexico’s SENASICA headquarters to observe Screwworm control operations. Under Secretary Dudley Hoskins traveled to the State of Chiapas to review containment work on the ground, while Rollins and Under Secretary Luke Lindberg visited a Walmart Super Center and Bimbo Bakery in Mexico City. Bimbo imported nearly four hundred million dollars in American ingredients last year, ranging from wheat and dairy to eggs, potatoes, and nuts.
Senior officials from Idaho, Nebraska, Washington, California, Tennessee, and Wisconsin also joined the mission. Mexico remained the top foreign market for U.S. farm goods in 2024 with thirty billion dollars in total shipments. Consumer foods made up almost half of that value, while bulk grains accounted for another ten billion dollars.
