Chinese market, an opportunity for tequila

China's population is becoming more knowledgeable about tequila , which is why this is an attractive market with a huge potential for the export of this product, according to David Rodríguez, chief executive officer of Patrón México .

“Out of the 1.2 billion Chinese living in mainland China, close to 200 million have a high purchasing power, which would allow them to acquire a good-quality tequila so this is an area of opportunity we have to seize,” said Rodríguez during an interview with Notimex.

The executive explained that the projection and demand for this traditional Mexican drink is increasing and that consumers have expanded their interest in the product.

In the case of China , in addition to the wide diversity of its population, Rodríguez states the Chinese assign a high value to artisanal products.

“The greatest challenge in this market is that they are loyal to their traditional drink, baijiu, but quality will speak for itself,” according to Rodríguez.

Mounting global demand worries Tequila producers

“I had the opportunity of visiting China during a tequila exhibition and they, unfortunately, asked 'Where is Mexico? They didn't even know the country existed but after taking a close look at the packaging, they were finally dazzled by the flavor,” recounted Rodríguez.

The CEO stated that the United States is currently the market with the highest demand for tequila , with Mexico coming in second.

The countries with the least demand and, therefore, an area of opportunity, are China and India given the size of its population, in addition to Great Britain, Germany, and Spain.

For Rodríguez, tequila is a product for which Mexico is known around the world and while there are other traditional, artisanal, and symbolic drinks – like mezcal – they don't come close to the production levels of tequila.

“We have to give mezcal its place, of course, but tequila has long been positioned [in the market] and its production is vastly superior, and when talking about Mexico anywhere in the world, it gets associated with charrería (Mexican rodeo), mariachi, and tequila. This is a big opportunity to make the industry grow.”

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