About: Lime production in Mexico

For several decades, since at least the 1950s, Mexico has been the world's largest producer and exporter of limes, and especially of . The two popular varieties of limes grown in Mexico are the Mexican or Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and the Persian lime (Citrus latifolia, simply called "lime" in the US); the former is of Indo–Malayan origin introduced in Mexico by the Spaniards after the 1520s, while the latter, also called the Tahiti lime, was introduced from the United States. Persian lime production in Mexico caters specifically to the US market; a substantial increase in production has been attributed to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Lime production in Mexico has also expanded consequent to the increase in its per capita consumption in the United States and the European U