Mexican Ambassador Norma Pensado appealed to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk with a request to support the introduction of amendments to the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU; it includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan). From her letter, a copy of which was read “Vedomosti”, It follows that the Mexican government, as well as the local Council for the Supervision of Tequila Production (CRT) propose to include in the document the concepts of tequila and mezcal – the country’s traditional alcoholic drinks.
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This will help avoid their disappearance from the markets of the Union countries after the entry into force of the technical regulation. It establishes a requirement for the methanol content in alcoholic beverages: in terms of anhydrous alcohol, it should be no more than 0.05%, explains Dmitry Petrov, director of corporate relations at Diageo Eastern Europe (its tequila brands are Don Julio and Casamigos).
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According to him, for example, there is no separate term “tequila” in this document. He recalls that, according to the Mexican standard, on the basis of which this drink is produced, the permissible level of methanol in it can be higher: it varies from 0.03 to 0.3%. Consequently, the norms of the technical regulations in the current edition limit the sale of this drink in Russia, sums up Petrov. According to the current norms for some drinks, including tequila, this indicator is not regulated, he recalls.
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The Mexican government is concerned about the lack of regulation of tequila and mezcal in the technical regulations, writes Pensado Overchuc. The representative of the Ministry of Finance confirmed the receipt of the letter, it is now under consideration. A spokesman for the Mexican embassy declined to comment, and a request to the government remained unanswered. The representative of the Foreign Ministry did not answer in essence.
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The concern of the Mexican side has already been brought to the attention of Russia’s partners in the EAEU, says a representative of Overchuk. He recalled that at a meeting on November 3, the members of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) agreed to postpone the entry into force of the technical regulation for a year – until January 1, 2022. According to him, the Russian side was instructed to introduce draft amendments to the document by April 30 next year … The draft changes have not yet been submitted to the EEC, the representative of the commission noted.
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Igor Nevzorov, partner of the law firm Claims, recalls that the technology of tequila and mezcal production in Mexico is strictly regulated. In order for these concepts to be introduced into the legislation of the EAEU countries, it is necessary to agree on the edition with the Mexican side, he says. Petrov notes that the content of methanol in tequila provides aroma and taste characteristic and unique for this drink, it is safe for the health of consumers. Elena Novozhilova, Deputy Director General for Regulatory Affairs of the Committee of Alcohol Producers, agrees with him: the concentration is safe, but formally it does not meet the new requirements. According to her, in order to avoid this, it is necessary to introduce these concepts into the new regulations and establish requirements for tequila and mezcal that meet the standards of the country of production.
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According to CRT data, in 2019 Mexico produced 352 million liters of this drink, 246.7 million liters were exported. The best-selling tequila brands in the world are Patron, Sauza, Olmeca Altos, according to Drinks International magazine. Imports to Russia last year grew by 6% to 3.3 million liters, according to the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (CIFRRA). Retail sales of tequila and mezcal in Russia last year amounted to RUB 6.1 billion, according to Euromonitor International. This is a niche alcoholic category, its consumers are a small circle of connoisseurs, says CIFRRA director Vadim Drobiz. For example: imports of cognac and brandy last year amounted to 48 million liters, whiskey – 39 million liters.
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The demand for tequila in Russia has been stable for many years, says Leonid Rafailov, co-owner of the AST importing company (engaged in the import and distribution of the brands El Jimador, Jose Cuervo, Herradura, Pepe Lopez in Russia). It supports the postponement of the entry into force of the technical regulation, this will allow making the necessary changes to it. Then, on the counter-label, importers will be able to continue calling the drink tequila, while under the current version it would have to be renamed into “alcoholic beverage”, which would mislead consumers, Rafailov said.
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The technical regulations have been discussed for several years, but its adoption for many market participants in 2018 came as a surprise, representatives of alcohol companies told Vedomosti earlier. The biggest debate after its adoption arose among brewers: for beer, the regulation reduced the permissible malt content – from 80 to 50%. Small and medium-sized brewers felt that this would degrade the quality of the drink, while large multinational companies saw this as an opportunity to experiment with the recipe.
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