Mexican exports to the U.S. declined in April for the first time in 13 months, while Mexico’s trade surplus with its northern neighbor increased since last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Data from the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services report for April showed that Mexico had a US $13.5 billion trade surplus that month, up 2.8% from April 2024. However, the surplus this April decreased compared to March, when Mexico registered a US $16.8 billion trade surplus with the U.S.
Mexico exported nearly US $41.7 billion in goods and services to the U.S. in April, 2.7% less than April 2024. The decline is due to the aggressive tariffs that U.S. President Trump placed on Mexican goods outside the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), according to the website Trading Economics.
At the same time, U.S. exports to Mexico fell year-on-year by 5.2%, down from US $29.4 billion in April 2024 to US $27.8 billion this year.
Even so, Mexico was the top exporter to the U.S. in April and also the top recipient of U.S. goods and services.
The trade report was released as Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard is negotiating with U.S. officials after Trump doubled tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum to 50%. Ebrard criticized the measure which went into effect on Wednesday, calling it “unsustainable.”
Before heading to Washington, Ebrard expressed doubt that the tariffs could be sustained over time, saying they would harm industries in both countries, since steel is used primarily for the automotive industry, construction and electronics.
Ebrard called the tariffs unfair, pointing out that the U.S. enjoys a surplus in steel trade with Mexico.
“It doesn’t make sense to put a tariff on a product you have a surplus in,” he said. “Normally, it’s imposed when you have a deficit, not a surplus.”
Even with the decline registered in April, Mexico remains the U.S.’ No. 1 trade partner, with total trade exceeding US $69 billion, representing 15% of U.S. international trade. Canada (US $56.6 billion, or 12.2%) and China (US $33.6 billion, or 7.2%) were second and third, respectively.
Overall, Mexico accounted for 14.7% of all goods and services imported by the U.S. in the first four months of the year, slightly ahead of Canada (13.1%) and nearly doubling China (8.7%). China is the U.S. trading partner most affected by the U.S. tariffs.
Exports to the U.S. from China and from Canada fell more steeply, dropping 19.7% for China and 14.4% for Canada. Canada is the U.S.’ No. 2 trade partner and China is third.
The U.S. trade report also included first-quarter statistics on trade in goods and services by country.Its figures indicate Mexico enjoyed a US $49.2 billion surplus through the first three months of 2025.
With reports from El Economista, La Jornada, Trading Economics and El Financiero
