Alberta beef hits Costco shelves across Mexico

New deal with JBS Canada opens doors for Alberta beef in 41 stores nationwide

Alberta beef is taking centre stage in Mexico’s retail market through a new agreement between JBS Canada and Costco Mexico, marking a major expansion for Canadian beef in a market long dominated by U.S. suppliers.

At a ribbon-cutting event this week in Mexico City, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Health MacDonald joined industry partners to celebrate the launch of Alberta beef products—including porterhouse, New York prime, and other premium cuts—now available at all 41 Costco locations across Mexico. 

According to media reports and confirmed by ABP, the agreement will see roughly 20,000 tonnes of beef from the JBS plant in Brooks, Alberta, shipped to Costco stores throughout Mexico.

Opening a new frontier

According to JBS Mexico the partnership represents “a new frontier” for Canadian beef.

The deal took about a year to finalize, with JBS hosting Costco Mexico representatives at its Brooks facility to demonstrate the plant’s capabilities and food safety standards.

Beef is Canada’s fourth-largest agricultural export to Mexico, supported under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

Canada–Mexico trade relations deepen

The Costco announcement came as part of a broader agricultural mission to Mexico. During the visit, Mexico also announced it will lift its 18-month ban on Canadian pet foods made with bovine meal, reopening a market worth over $400 million annually.

MacDonald and his Mexican counterpart, Julio Berdegué Sacristán, also discussed implementing digital phytosanitary certificates to streamline trade in agricultural commodities such as wheat and canola. Further details on the Canada-Mexico progress was provided in this news release from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and on the Minister’s social media channels.