• HALTING: Mexico’s two largest beer producers -Grupo Modelo and Heineken Mexico- will temporarily suspend operations across the country after the Mexican government deemed brewing as a non-essential activity under a health emergency declaration to combat coronavirus.
• BRANDS: Starting Sunday and until April 30th, Mexico’s top beer producers will shut down 18 brewing plants halting all production. This will affect fabrication of some of the most popular beer brands sold in the US like Corona, Modelo and Pacifico (by Grupo Modelo) and Tecate, Dos Equis and Sol (by Heineken Mexico)
• READY: “In case the (Mexican) government considers it appropriate to issue some clarification confirming beer as an agro-industrial product…we are ready to execute a plan with more than 75% of our staff working from home and also guaranteeing supply of beer”, said Grupo Modelo yesterday.
• BLOW: During the past five years, Mexican exports to the US have soared representing today 71% of US beer imports with a value of US $4 billion, according to the Beer Institute. For the suspension to be lifted, the Mexican Government should make clear brewing is part of the agro-industrial chain.
