US tariffs: Suerte ‘takes one for the team’
In the face of US tariffs on Mexican imports, Tequila brand Suerte has promised not to pass increased costs onto its consumers.
The Boulder, Colorado-based Tequila brand has announced it is ‘taking one for the team’ by absorbing the new 25% costs imposed on imports into the US from its neighbour to the south.
“We will not pass tariff costs to consumers,” said Laurence Spiewak, co-founder of Suerte Tequila. “Agave prices have dropped by more than 80% in 18 months, and Tequila margins are stronger than ever. Raising prices on a consumer base already looking to spend less isn’t justified – or right. So we won’t.”
Suerte Tequila (NOM 1530) is produced at Tequilera Simbolo, a single distillery in the highlands of Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, placing it in the 2% of Tequila brands with a dedicated distillery.
The Tequila is crafted using traditional methods, including slow-roasting agave, tahona crushing, and using ‘pristine’ spring water. It is part of just 1% of brands that use 100% tahona crushing, which, it says, makes for a ‘more authentic, nuanced Tequila’.
In the month leading up to the start of the tariffs, many spirits companies were calculating whether they would be able to absorb the additional costs they were projected to incur as a result.
Don Julio owner Diageo suggested it might be able to cover “about 40%” of the hit, before needing to pass the costs onto the consumers.
However, many other spirits brands and companies have found that modelling potential scenarios has been complicated on account of the number of uncertainties, including the size and scope of tariffs, their duration, and the impact of any retaliatory measures. As such, many have not yet confirmed whether they will be increasing their prices as a result.
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