When you think of tequila what country comes to mind?

[JODO 2]

'Chinese' tequila worries Mexico

Mexican politicians are demanding action to protect the tequila industry from Chinese competition.

The lower house of Congress voted to urge the government to stop Chinese firms patenting maguey - a type of agave cactus used in tequila.

MPs are also worried that Chinese and Japanese firms could target the market in another cactus species, nopal.

Nopal leaves are increasingly popular in the US, where there is already strong demand for tequila.

"Nopal and Maguey are Mexican plants and if we don't take the necessary measures in time, we run the risk of losing the denomination of origin", Cesar Duarte, the deputy who sponsored the move, told the Efe news agency.

Mr Duarte said the main Mexican farmers' union had been told that Chinese firms had begun legal moves to register the nopal plant with the European Commission as a Chinese product.

But the Mexican Agriculture Ministry said that so far Brussels had received no requests regarding either mopal or maguey.

Tequila power

The Mexican tequila industry has expanded rapidly since the early 1990s.

Marketing experts have tried to change its reputation from a cheap peasant drink to a sophisticated international spirit like whisky.

In 2005, Mexico produced a record 210m litres of tequila - almost half of which was exported. Sales to the US alone were worth more than $400m.

Mexican tequila producers have pushed for tequila products to have a denomination of origin system similar to the one used in the wine industry. Mexico argues that the maguey is a uniquely Mexican product because 150 of the 200 varieties of the plant are found in its territory.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7116602.stm

Published: 2007/11/28 12:30:37 GMT

Edited November 28, 2007 by JODO

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Iceland

[Ban Hammer 14,299]

awww i hear protectionism at work.

[djcess 0]

philippines and mexico. i like the patron more than jose cuervo

[almaty 19]

i always think of brazil.....i got drunk on tequila the 1st time at college with the brazil intramural volleyball team..i was on the malaysia team.......and the brazilians invited me to a party

[Ban Hammer 14,299]

i always think of brazil.....i got drunk on tequila the 1st time at college with the brazil intramural volleyball team..i was on the malaysia team.......and the brazilians invited me to a party

and now you can die a happy man because you know heaven does exist

[Fandango 1,440]

I think of this one particular time I was drunk, and.............

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Iceland

Is that 'cuz you only ever touch the stuff when it's "over ice"?

[Marilyn. 340]

when I think of tequila , the only thing that comes to mind is Strawberry margaritas .. yum!! yum!!

[SteveLaura 0]

Aha! A trick question. I know the answer to this one:

Potatoes.

[*julez* 124]

Aha! A trick question. I know the answer to this one:

Potatoes.

Ummmm I thought it was donuts.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I think of GODO.

[no name 1]

It's a trick question!

[almaty 19]

i always think of brazil.....i got drunk on tequila the 1st time at college with the brazil intramural volleyball team..i was on the malaysia team.......and the brazilians invited me to a party

and now you can die a happy man because you know heaven does exist

well, i must admit the brazilian ladies there were friendly and pleasing to the eye....

[Nessa 23]

mexico