President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said a new trade agreement with the European Union will allow Mexico to export cacao without tariffs [1, 2].
This move aims to secure fair prices for small-scale farmers and increase the global competitiveness of Mexican chocolate. By removing trade barriers, the administration intends to shift the economic balance in favor of local growers in Tabasco who have historically faced volatile market pricing.
Speaking during an assembly in Comalcalco, Tabasco, on Sunday, Sheinbaum said the initiative is part of the “Chocolate para el Bienestar” project [1, 3]. The program seeks to add value to the raw cacao bean by processing it within Mexico rather than exporting it as a raw commodity.
To support this transition, the government will invest 110 million pesos in a new cacao processing plant [1]. This facility is designed to provide the infrastructure necessary for small producers to refine their products for the European market.
Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in September 2026 [1]. The administration expects the facility to be fully operational during the first half of 2027 [1].
Sheinbaum said the combination of the EU trade deal and the new processing plant will directly benefit the economy of small producers in the region [1, 2]. The strategy focuses on reducing the reliance on intermediaries, a common hurdle for agricultural workers in southern Mexico, and opening direct channels to high-demand markets in Europe [1].
“export cacao mexicano sin aranceles”
The initiative represents a strategic shift toward 'value-added' exports, moving Mexico away from being a raw material supplier and toward becoming a processed goods exporter. By integrating a state-funded processing plant with a tariff-free trade agreement, the government is attempting to vertically integrate the cacao supply chain to insulate small farmers from global commodity price swings.
