Sunflower seeds market in Mexico

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2020, the Mexican sunflower seeds market was shaped by new regulatory frameworks. The introduction of Official Mexican Standard NOM‑001‑SAG/FITO‑2013 set mandatory quality and labeling requirements, while Article 29 of the Federal Seed Law enforced detailed packaging labels. These measures coincided with a market volume increase to 24 108 t in 2019, up from 19 941 t in 2018, as standards likely boosted market confidence. In 2020, the launch of the National Seed Program 2020‑2024 provided financial support for certified seed production, helping stabilize the market at 23 834 t.

The market surged to 33 225 t in 2021, driven by stricter seed labeling and germination guarantees under INASE Resolution N° 260/2022, which raised quality benchmarks. Additionally, the NMX‑F‑809‑SCFI‑2018 standard for sunflower oil incentivized demand for high‑quality seeds. However, proposed reforms to the Federal Plant Variety Law in 2022 created regulatory uncertainty, compounded by Corteva Agriscience's 14 M USD investment in sunflower seed production in Romania, which affected global supply dynamics. This contributed to a decline in market volume to 28 504 t that year. By 2023, reinforced packaging and origin documentation requirements under SNICS oversight helped the market recover to 34 513 t, even as debates over GM seed regulations continued.

In 2024, the National Seed Program 2020‑2024 concluded, maintaining support for certified oilseed production. The approval of labeling norms for high‑oleic sunflower oil further guided genetic material selection. Meanwhile, ongoing global supply insecurity from the war in Ukraine continued to affect international sunflower seed prices and import patterns, as seen in Mexico's import volumes of 27 641 t in 2024 and 21 178 t in 2025.

Production sunflower seeds in Mexico

In kind, 2018-2021, t

Top producers of sunflower seeds, 2018-2021

World map of production of sunflower seeds, 2018-2021

In 2021, Mexico produced 7,669 tons of sunflower seeds, which represents an 8.0% decrease compared to 2020. Looking at the period from 2018 to 2021, production fell by 21.4%, averaging an annual decline of 7.7%. The lowest production level was recorded in 2019 at 4,913 tons. That same year saw the largest drop of 49.6%, while 2020 experienced the biggest increase at 69.6%.

Annual dynamics of production in Mexico in kind, 2018-2021, t

Exports sunflower seeds from Mexico

Exports in kind, t

In 2020, Mexico's foreign supplies of sunflower seeds amounted to 57 tons, marking a significant year-on-year decline of 18.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Mexico in kind, 2018-2021, t

From 2018 to 2021, the United States was consistently the dominant and nearly exclusive destination for Mexico's sunflower seed exports in volume terms, accounting for 100.0% of the total.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2018-2021

World map of product's exports from Mexico in kind, 2018-2021

Exports in value, K $ US

In 2020, cross-border shipments of sunflower seeds from Mexico reached 52,000 US dollars, reflecting a modest decrease of 3.6% compared to 2019.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Mexico in value, 2018-2021, K $ US

Between 2018 and 2021, sunflower seeds from Mexico were supplied almost entirely to the United States, which absorbed 100.0% of total exports in value terms.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2018-2021

World map of product's exports from Mexico in value, 2018-2021

Imports sunflower seeds to Mexico

Imports in kind, t

The market showed considerable volatility during this period. The lowest import volume was recorded in 2018, while the highest was in 2021, with a 2.5-fold difference between these years. In 2021, Mexico imported 25,557 tons of sunflower seeds, representing a 64.3% increase over the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2020 at 19.2%, while the biggest increase was in 2019 at 89.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Mexico in kind, 2018-2021, t

From 2018 to 2021, Argentina and the United States together accounted for 84.3% of Mexico's total sunflower seed imports in volume, with other countries forming a diverse but less significant portion.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2018-2021

World map of product's imports to Mexico in kind, 2018-2021

Imports in value, K $ US

In 2021, Mexico imported approximately 28,184,000 US dollars worth of sunflower seeds, corresponding to a sharp increase of 69.6% compared to the previous year. Over the 2018-2021 period, imports grew by 67.5%, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.8%. The lowest value was recorded in 2020 at 16,620,000 US dollars, which also saw the largest decline of 14.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Mexico in value, 2018-2021, K $ US

Throughout 2018-2021, the import structure in value terms was primarily shaped by the United States and Argentina, which together accounted for 83.7% of total flows, while other markets contributed to a long tail of smaller shares.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2018-2021

World map of product's imports to Mexico in value, 2018-2021