As tequila is a denomination of origin spirit controlled by the Mexican government, before exporting a single liter the supplier must get two permissions for the company who want buy from them. This process may take aprox 12-14 weeks.

It is compulsory to have the certification. In order to buy tequila in bulk and to bottle and brand it as “tequila”, it can only be produced in Mexico and bulk amounts can be exported handled under the CRT.

The CRT is the organism that certifies the customer’s product. This is their website: https://www.crt.org.mx/index.php?lang=en.

This permit costs about USD 900. The client usually pays this amount in advance to the supplier and the supplier pays the Mexican government the fee.

1. The supplier needs the following information from the customer:

  • Full name and legal address of your company
  • Copy of registration or application of trademark to be used on the customer’s tequila in USPTO.
  • Name of the person and its position in the companies that will sign documents on behalf of the company (with enough power of attorney)
  • Incorporation date of the company
  • If the company is also acting under other names or subsidiaries, the names of these companies must be submitted.
  • Passport copy of the person who will sign on behalf of the company with enough power of attorney.
  • Tax ID nr of your company.

The supplier prepares the following documents to be signed by the customer:

  • Co-responsibility Agreement to be submitted to IMPI
  • 3 different letters to be submitted to DGN to obtain a CAE for the company

2. Submission of documents to IMPI

When supplier’s lawyers have prepared above mentioned documents to be signed, you will need to forward to the supplier’s office in Mexico Corresponsability Agreement signed in three copies plus license of usage signed in three copies together with LABEL DRAFT of Your tequila showing the supplier’s number. This procedure can take 8-10 weeks.

In summary, the customer pays a fee of approximately US$900, the supplier pays that fee to the Mexican government in order to be able to sell to that particular customer, who will bottle with a particular brand and label.

The permit is obtained for the purchase of tequila from the supplier with whom the paperwork is handled, it is not a permit that can be used to purchase from any supplier. In case of a change of supplier or if you want to have several suppliers, you will pay the fee for each one of them.

Mezcal

Tequila is a variety of mezcal, but it is made strictly from the blue agave species. In addition, legal regulations state that it must be made with 51% agave, while mezcal must be made with 100% agave. Tequila is subject to more rigid standards than mezcal. Tequila can only be made from blue agave in five Mexican states, and most is produced in Jalisco. Mezcal can be made from any variety of agave in eight Mexican states.

Contrary to popular belief mezcal does not necessarily have a smoky flavor because this characteristic depends on how the pineapples are roasted. 

100% agave only bottled

In other hand, 100% agave is not allowed to be sold in bulk, just mixed tequila, where the bottler must meet the conditions established by the Mexican Official Standard for Tequila.  In the case of mezcal, the same is true, as it is 100% agave, it can only be purchased bottled.