Guadalajara, Jalisco.-Aurelio López Rocha officially assumed the presidency of Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) on April 29, 2025, marking the start of a new phase for the institution tasked with safeguarding the integrity of the tequila industry.
Speaking from the CRT headquarters in Zapopan, Jalisco, López Rocha reaffirmed that the council will continue working in unity with all sectors of the agave-tequila production chain.
“Our mission is to protect the Tequila Denomination of Origin, ensure compliance with applicable standards through inspection and certification, guarantee authenticity for consumers in Mexico and abroad, and generate timely and accurate information for all stakeholders,” said López Rocha.
Established in 1994, the CRT operates as the technical arm of the Mexican government to ensure tequila complies with national and international regulations through in situ inspections, laboratory analyses, and batch certifications.
López Rocha noted that the council will maintain progress on its Agave-Tequila Sustainability Strategy and will pursue broader international recognition for the Tequila Denomination of Origin, which currently holds legal protection in 57 countries.
Key initiatives include promoting the ARS (Socially Responsible Agave) certification mark, expanding the use of the Geospatial Agave Plantation Inventory Viewer, and supporting public policy for Mexican denominations of origin.
The CRT also plans to advance crop conversion programs, launch phytosanitary campaigns, explore new uses for the agave plant, and negotiate lower tariff barriers in emerging tequila markets.
López Rocha becomes the fifth president in the CRT’s history, following the terms of José Luis González Íñigo, Javier Arroyo Chávez, René Justin Rivial León, and Miguel Ángel Domínguez Morales.
