Mexico: The powerful Mexican brewing industry could change its face in the next five years, because of the increasing competition of the global brands. For the period 2000-2003 beer imports increased by 30%, while exports increased only by 11.2%. Mexico’s beer exports are concentrated in USA market, where it delivers 88% of its exports volume; the other 12% of the exports is delivered to 69 different countries. Through a special study "La Cerveza Mexicana ante la Globalización", Asian-English group HSBC affirms that the internal market operates at a rate of 48 litres per capita consumption, versus the 50 litres figure of the late 90s.

Mexico has become a market to conquer by the greater brewing groups of the world. In the Northern Mexico, the famous brands Budweiser, Miller and Heineken have become a tradition; the last one signed an agreement with Herdez to make his channels of distribution easier. In Southern Mexico beer brands from Central and South America, like Rooster, Bier and Pilsen, are traded heavily.

Integration of Mexico beer into the global market has so far occurred only at trade operations level. Mexican beer brands are not yet produced outside Mexico territory. Mexican brewers have not so far made any production or acquisition of regional or global scale.

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