Mexican exports to the US continue to grow

The value of Mexico’s exports to the United States increased 8.2% annually in July to reach a record high US $45.36 billion, according to U.S. data published on Thursday.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis also reported that Mexico’s exports to the U.S. in the first seven months of the year were worth $309.75 billion, a 6.5% increase compared to the same period of 2024.

The increases in Mexico’s export revenue occurred despite the United States’ imposition of tariffs on a range of Mexican goods this year, including steel, aluminum and cars, as well as goods not covered by the USMCA free trade pact.

Still, the majority of Mexican goods enter the United States tariff-free thanks to the USMCA, which covers trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada. In July, 86% of Mexico’s revenue from exports sent to the U.S. was derived from tariff-free trade, the newspaper El Financiero reported.

The publication of the U.S. data comes a week after Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI reported that Mexico’s total export revenue in the first seven months of 2025 was $369.43 billion, a 4.3% annual increase.

In 2024, Mexico’s revenue from exports shipped worldwide exceeded $600 billion for the first time ever. The country is on track to exceed that barrier for a second consecutive year in 2025.

Mexico remains the top exporter to the US 

Mexico’s exports to the United States in the first seven months of 2025 were worth 34.4% more than those of Canada, which ranked as the second biggest exporter to the U.S.

In the same period, Mexico’s exports were worth 59.7% more than those of China, which was the third largest exporter to the U.S.

Mexico sends a wide range of products to its northern neighbor including vehicles, auto parts, electronic goods, medical devices, fresh food and alcoholic beverages. More than 80% of Mexico’s exports go to the United States.

While the value of Mexico’s exports to the U.S. increased 6.5% between January and July, Canada’s revenue declined 4.4% while China’s fell 18.9%.

In the first seven months of 2025, Mexico had a 15% share of the United States’ total market for imports, ahead of Canada on 11.2% and China on 9.4%.

Mexico’s spending on US goods is also up

The U.S. data shows that Mexico spent $28.99 billion on U.S imports in July and $197.16 billion in the first seven months of the year.

The former figure represents a 1% annual increase while the latter represents a 1.1% year-over-year increase.

Mexico was the second largest importer of U.S. goods in the first seven months of the year, just behind Canada. Among Mexico’s imports from the U.S. are gasoline, natural gas, auto parts, vehicles and corn.

Ears of dried corn in a big pile
Corn, car parts and natural gas are a few of Mexico’s top imports. (Unsplash)

President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that Mexico is willing to look at ways it can increase its imports from the United States. Her government is seeking to reduce reliance on imports from Asian countries, especially China, as part of its Plan México industrial policy.

One of the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump has given for his decision to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico is that Mexico runs a significant trade surplus with its northern neighbor.

In the first seven months of 2025, Mexico’s surplus on trade with the U.S. was $112.59 billion, a 17.7% increase compared to the same period of last year. Trump would not be happy with that result.

Mexico and the United States are each other’s largest trade partner, and the economies of the two countries are highly-integrated.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero

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