Ferrero De Mexico SA de CV — Hazelnut Importer

Company Profile: Ferrero De Mexico S.A. De C.V.

Ferrero De Mexico S.A. De C.V. is the Mexican subsidiary of the Ferrero Group, one of the world's largest chocolate and confectionery manufacturers. The Ferrero Group, headquartered in Alba, Italy, is globally renowned for iconic brands including Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, Tic Tac and Kinder Bueno. The Mexican operations serve as a critical manufacturing and distribution hub for the Latin American market, producing and distributing Ferrero products across Mexico and the broader Central American and Caribbean region.

As a major confectionery manufacturer, Ferrero De Mexico relies on significant volumes of imported raw materials, most notably hazelnuts (HS 080222) which are the primary ingredient in Nutella and Ferrero Rocher products. The company also imports substantial quantities of cocoa powder, chocolate preparations, sugar confectionery ingredients, wheat gluten, palm oil, dairy products and packaging materials. Additionally, Ferrero De Mexico imports specialized manufacturing machinery for chocolate and confectionery production, bakery equipment, filling and wrapping machinery, reflecting the scale and sophistication of its manufacturing operations in Mexico.

Hazelnut Imports — Primary Focus

Hazelnuts represent the cornerstone of Ferrero's supply chain. The Ferrero Group is the world's largest consumer of hazelnuts, purchasing approximately 25-30% of the global hazelnut crop annually. Ferrero De Mexico sources shelled hazelnuts (HS 080222 — Hazelnuts or Filberts, Corylus spp., fresh or dried, shelled) primarily from Turkey, which accounts for roughly 70% of global hazelnut production. Additional sourcing origins include Italy, Chile, Azerbaijan and Georgia, reflecting the company's strategy of diversifying its supply base to mitigate agricultural and geopolitical risks.

The hazelnuts imported by Ferrero De Mexico are used primarily as the key ingredient in Nutella hazelnut spread and as a core component of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. The company maintains rigorous quality standards for hazelnut sourcing, including strict requirements for mycotoxin levels (aflatoxins), moisture content, size grading and flavor profile. Ferrero has established long-term partnerships with hazelnut growing communities and has invested in agricultural programs to improve yield, quality and sustainability in hazelnut cultivation, particularly in Turkey's Black Sea region where the majority of the world's hazelnuts are grown.

Cocoa and Chocolate Imports

Beyond hazelnuts, Ferrero De Mexico imports significant volumes of cocoa-based raw materials and chocolate preparations. These imports are essential for the company's chocolate manufacturing operations and include cocoa powder both with and without added sugar, chocolate preparations in blocks, slabs and bars, sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers. The cocoa supply chain reflects Ferrero's global sourcing network, with cocoa beans typically processed in European facilities before being shipped to Mexico as semi-finished or finished chocolate ingredients.

The confectionery imports also include sugar confectionery products, bombones (bonbons), caramels, confites and pastillas, indicating that Ferrero De Mexico both manufactures products locally and imports certain finished or semi-finished confectionery items from other Ferrero Group facilities around the world. This combination of local manufacturing and strategic product transfers allows the company to optimize its production footprint while meeting regional demand efficiently.

Key Import Categories — HS Code Data (2015)

The following table presents the most significant import categories identified in Ferrero De Mexico's 2015 bill of lading records. Hazelnut imports (highlighted) represent the primary focus of this trade data profile, while other categories reflect the broad scope of the company's supply chain requirements for manufacturing, packaging and distribution operations.

Industrial Machinery and Equipment Imports

Ferrero De Mexico's 2015 import records reveal substantial investment in industrial manufacturing equipment. The company imported specialized confectionery and chocolate manufacturing machinery (HS 843820), bakery machinery (HS 843810), filling, sealing and labeling equipment (HS 842230), packing and wrapping machinery (HS 842240), distilling equipment (HS 841940) and rotary displacement pumps (HS 841360). These machinery imports indicate significant capital expenditure in expanding or upgrading Ferrero's Mexican manufacturing capacity.

The machinery imports are complemented by large volumes of packaging materials including plastic containers, boxes and crates (HS 392310), plastic bottles and flasks (HS 392330), packing articles (HS 392390), aluminum foil (HS 760719), paper labels (HS 482110), textile packing sacks (HS 630539) and wooden pallets (HS 441520). This comprehensive packaging material import profile reflects the scale of Ferrero's finished goods distribution operations in Mexico and across the Latin American market.

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