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The company founded by Don Antonio Suárez continues positively under the direction of Antonio Guerra Autrey (pictured)
Grupomar continues expanding its exports and adding markets
MEXICO
Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 21:20 (GMT + 9)
The threats from the United States, the negotiation process of the new North American trade agreement and the lost battle of the "dolphin safe" have not stopped exports of Mexican tuna to the other side of the northern border.
According to General Director of Grupo Marítimo Industrial (Grupomar), Antonio Guerra Autrey, this Mexican company has sent its products for almost 20 years to that country, and in the last four years has grown at a rate of 12 to 18 percent annually.
The companies Maratún and Martuna have their own fleet of large tuna vessels and longliners
In an interview with Notimex, he explained that last year alone they sold over USD 20 million of tuna products, one of the most popular fish in the diet of much of the world.
The growth in sales is due to the high demand for products by retail food chains in the United States, which are aimed at ethnic groups, such as migrants.
That market represents a great opportunity to embrace a multicultural positioning that focuses on popular products, regardless of ethnicity or origin, and is on the rise in California, Texas, Chicago, and North and South Carolina.
Grupomar produces a third of the consumption of canned tuna in Mexico and 90% of salads and specialties from the Mexican sea
"This market is growing and we are launching new products, some already exist in Mexico, and we are trying our luck," argued the Grupomar executive, made up of a group of companies from the maritime and fishing sectors of the country.
Despite this, he acknowledged, the commercial relationship is still limited because the large US chains do not acquire Mexican tuna because of the labeling rule that prevents mention of "dolphin safe".
Some of the latest products launched by the group
This is because, after more than a decade of litigation before the World Trade Organization (WTO), in the past months the ruling was adopted and Mexico's argument that the US labeling regulations violated its rules was rejected.
"We lost the third final instance at a time when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was being negotiated and there were also threats from the United States to leave the WTO on issues with China. I think we had a bad 'time in' for the final resolution."
The Grupomar fleet is considered the most efficient per tonne of fishing for yellowfin tuna in the American continent
The vice president of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the National Agricultural Council (CNA) also indicated that the Mexican company will continue with its strategies to increase its presence on the other side of the border, and at the same time continue with its sales from Panama and to Canada.
In addition to Qatar, where the group arrived after having received the Halal certificate, there are plans to export its products to the markets of the Muslim population. To those regions the group sends 5.0 percent of its global turnover.
It will also seek to reach the Russian market, once the permits are delivered through the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris).
Data from the Agri-Food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP) show that tuna, shrimp, tilapia, lobster, mojarra, octopus and sardines are the most important products of aquaculture and fishing activities, with a production of 2.1 million tons and a value of at least MXN 29,814 million.
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