How Much Does the U.S. Import From Mexico?

Mexico remains the second largest trading partner for the United States, with nearly $1.8 billion in products and services crossing the U.S.-Mexico border daily.

Trade has increased with Mexico in the years following the implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020, which attempted to make trade between the three countries mutually beneficial. By the end of 2022, bilateral trade between the U.S. and Mexico increased by more than $282 billion to $863.4 billion.

According to the United States Census Bureau, trade with Mexico totaled an estimated $863.4 billion in 2022. Imports made up $500.7 billion of that amount. Mexico was the United States' second-largest supplier of imported goods in 2022. In comparison, total trade with Canada that year was $914.3 billion, with $487.7 billion in imports.

Here are the top U.S. imports from Mexico for 2022.

Vehicles and Parts

At $130.9 billion, cars or car parts were more than one-quarter of all goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico in 2022. Most of the cars and car parts that the U.S. imports from Mexico are made by American automakers and intended for the U.S. market, even though they are manufactured in Mexico.

Electrical Equipment and Components

The U.S. imported more than $29.5 billion worth of electrical components such as insulated wire, switches, electric motor parts, printed circuits, and television, radio, and radar parts. Many of these parts find their way into electrical equipment assembled in the U.S.

Equipment imported from Mexico includes electric shavers, industrial and laboratory equipment, electric motors, and generators.

Mexico also exported over $37.7 billion in computer equipment to the U.S. in 2022 and $10.9 in communications equipment.

Oil and Gas

Despite being one of the largest crude oil producers in the world, U.S. consumption exceeds domestic production. In 2022, the U.S. imported $20.7 billion in oil and gas from Mexico.

Audio and Video Equipment

Mexico exported $14.6 billion in video and audio equipment like stereos, phones, broadcasting equipment, amplifiers, and much more.

Beverages

Beverages such as alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and water accounted for $11.5 billion in imports from Mexico. The country is a top supplier of tequilas, one of its most famous beverages.

Medical and Other Equipment

The $10.3 billion in imports under this category includes equipment used in maritime, aviation, medical, and many other industries. Guages, clocks, monitoring devices, and much more make their way from Mexico to U.S. hospitals, manufacturers, labs, and even your home.

Household Appliance and Machines

Mexico exported $9.7 billion in appliances and other machines like refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, small kitchen appliances, lighting, pumps, heating systems, and more.

U.S.-Mexico Trade Relationship Buoys Both Economies

Mexico is an integral part of the U.S. economy and soon may become the U.S.'s largest trade partner, but the costs of tariffs are typically passed on to consumers from companies. In the event of a tariff imposed on Mexican imports, producers of goods would be unlikely to absorb the additional tax themselves. Instead, they would more likely pass it on to consumers, making all these goods more expensive.

After NAFTA, many North American companies built supply chains that stretch across Mexico, the United States, and Canada; not only would tariffs hurt the American consumer, but it was predicted that retaliation from the Mexican government would damage the U.S. economy in the form of new trade barriers.

The Bottom Line

The Mexican economy is gearing up, and its currency has strengthened against the dollar since a significant drop in 2020; the country's trade relationship with the U.S. has been a bright spot in an otherwise bleak period of a pandemic and global inflation. The trade relationship between the two countries serves to buoy both economies as a mutually beneficial exchange.