MEXICO CITY, July 23 (Reuters) -

Becle, the world's largest tequila producer, on

Wednesday posted a second-quarter profit more than four times

higher than a year earlier, surpassing analysts' forecasts as it

benefited from foreign-exchange gains.

"This growth was driven mainly by an increase in

operating income and a gain in net financial income," Becle said

in a statement, pointing to a weaker Mexican currency boosting

its sales in the United States and Canada in peso terms.

Net profit hit 2.0 billion pesos ($106.6 million), above the

1.8 billion pesos estimated by analysts polled by LSEG, while

revenues ticked up 2.8% to 11.6 billion pesos, a touch below

analysts' 11.7-billion-peso forecast.

"During the first half of 2025, we continue to operate

in a volatile and competitive global environment," management

said in a statement, adding it was seeing early signs of

improvement in certain markets and working toward "a more

balanced alignment between shipments and depletions."

The Jose Cuervo maker makes the bulk of its income from

tequilas but also produces a range of spirits such as Creyente

mezcal, Stranahan's whiskey, Kraken rum and Boodles gin.

It pointed to 557 million pesos in foreign-exchange

gains that helped reverse a more than 1.3-billion-peso net

financial loss recorded a year earlier.

The Mexican peso weakened some 2.6% to the U.S. dollar

in the 12 months through to the end of June. Last year, Becle

made nearly 60% of its net sales in the U.S. and Canada, and a

further 25% in its home market of Mexico.

While the U.S. has threatened fresh tariffs against

Mexico, its top trade partner, from August 1, Commerce Secretary

Howard

Lutnick

on Sunday signaled that goods covered by the USMCA free

trade pact - such as tequila -

would remain exempt

.

($1 = 18.7654 pesos at end-June)