World: EU leads world malt exports, US ranked fifth

The European Union leads the world in malt exports, with exports of 2.6 million tonnes from calendar year (CY) 2014 to 2018, USDA said in its March report.

For comparison over the same period, the United States averaged malt exports of around 400,000 tonnes and held the number five rank globally from CY 2013 to 2017.

With few exceptions since 1989, Mexico has remained the top export market for U.S. malt. Mexican brewers of all sizes – both traditional beer companies and burgeoning independent craft brewers – rely heavily on U.S. malt for its quality and proximity, which is readily accessible via rail.

In 2003, Mexico fully eliminated tariffs on U.S. malt and barley, in compliance with its obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). As proposed, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement maintains zero tariffs on U.S. malt exports to Mexico, helping to maintain market access and stave off U.S. competitors (e.g. Canada, the European Union, and Russia) from wrestling away U.S. market share.

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