Mexico was the United States’ top trade partner in September, with two-way commerce totaling $67 billion.
It’s the eighth time in the past nine months that Mexico ranked No. 1, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In September, Canada ranked No. 2 at $64.7 billion, while China was third at $52.1 billion.
Mexico’s trade with the U.S. totaled $600 billion through the first nine months of 2023, a year-over-year (y/y) increase of 2% from the same period in 2022, according to a WorldCity analysis of Census Bureau data.
Port Laredo, Texas, was the No. 1-ranked U.S. trade gateway with Mexico, totaling $26.9 billion in September. It was the eighth straight month the Laredo border crossing was the country’s top-ranked international commercial trade port.
The Port of Los Angeles ranked No. 2 with $25.9 billion and Chicago O’Hare International Airport was No. 3, reporting $23.5 billion in trade during September.
The top three imports from Mexico to the U.S. through Laredo were auto parts ($2.2 billion), passenger vehicles ($1.5 billion) and heavy-duty trucks ($953 million), according to WorldCity.
The top exports from the U.S. to Mexico through Laredo were auto parts ($1.3 billion), gasoline ($327 million) and diesel engines ($237 million).
Exports, production of Mexican-built cargo trucks rebound in October
Production and exports of Mexican-built heavy-duty trucks bounced back in October, according to the latest data from Mexico’s National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers (ANPACT).
Members of ANPACT reported a 1.8% y/y increase in exports with 14,470 units and a 8.5% y/y rise in production with 18,756 tractors.
It was an improvement compared to September, when monthly production and exports declined after seven consecutive months of y/y growth, according to data from Mexico’s National Statistics Agency (INEGI).
Truck manufacturing companies in Mexico also sold 4,651 wholesale units during October, which was a 31% y/y increase compared to the same year-ago period.
Miguel Elizalde, ANPACT’s president, said all signs point toward its members having a record year.
The 10 truck makers and two engine producers in Mexico that are members of ANPACT are Freightliner, Kenworth, Navistar, Hino, International, DINA, MAN SE, Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Scania, Cummins and Detroit Diesel.
“After leaving the pandemic behind, it is a great advance for the industry to observe that the increases reported to date are maintained; [exports, production and wholesale] will exceed what was achieved in 2019, when we reached historic results,” Miguel Elizalde, president of Anpact, said during a videoconference on Friday.
Freightliner was the top truck producer and exporter in Mexico in October. The company produced 11,209 trucks, a 12% y/y increase, and exported 9,721 units, a 7% y/y increase.
International Trucks Inc. was the No. 2 producer and exporter, manufacturing 4,901 trucks in October, a 6% y/y decline. The truck maker exported 4,243 units during the month, an 8% y/y decrease.
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