You hear all that buzz about China taking over the world? About it becoming the largest economy on Earth, about it taking over all our industries slowly but surely, about every corporation on Earth rushing to the Middle Kingdom to tap into its billion-plus population? It's happening to tequila, too: earlier this fall, Mexico's tequila producers shipped over their first boatload of premium tequila to the Chinese. And the drink is already so popular that representatives with the Tequila Regulatory Council are already stating China will be the second-largest importer of tequila by five years.
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The story is already making waves in Mexico, with many Mexicans angry at China for already making illegal tequila by growing agaves and distilling the results. What's most interesting for me, though, is how dependent the tequila industry is on exports: of the 254 million liters produced last year, 165 million of it left Mexico–almost 65 percent. Man, that's going to leave none for us Mexis right now?
The current #2 importer, by the way? Germany. Um, okay…
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