U.S.–Mexico trade stays dominant in September, tops $71B
Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: U.S.–Mexico trade stays dominant in September, tops $71B; Maersk opens $15M depot near Port of Manzanillo; and Wayside Distribution Center aims to boost Houston supply chains.
Mexico ranked as the United States’ largest trading partner in September, reinforcing its central role in North American supply chains despite tariff uncertainty and shifting global trade dynamics.
Total trade between the U.S. and Mexico reached about $71.8 billion during the month, outpacing trade with Canada and China, according to Commerce Department data.
Mexican exports to the U.S. totaled $44.6 billion, while U.S. exports to Mexico reached $27.2 billion, making Mexico the top destination for U.S. goods for a second consecutive month.
On a year-to-date basis through September, cumulative U.S.–Mexico trade climbed to roughly $653 billion, keeping Mexico ahead of Canada and China as America’s largest overall trading partner.
Analysts attribute the sustained strength to deeply integrated automotive, electronics and energy supply chains under the USMCA, as well as continued nearshoring that favors shorter, truck-heavy logistics routes.
The trade dominance is showing up most clearly at land ports. Port Laredo ranked as the second-busiest U.S. gateway for international trade in September, trailing only Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to WorldCity analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.
Laredo handled $29.6 billion in trade during the month, driven largely by truck traffic tied to Mexico-U.S. manufacturing and distribution lanes.
Trucking-dependent commodities such as motor vehicle parts, engines, electronics and industrial machinery continued to dominate volumes moving through the Laredo border complex, underscoring how road freight remains the backbone of U.S.–Mexico trade.
Global logistics provider A.P. Moller–Maersk has opened a new container depot in Manzanillo, Mexico, investing more than $15 million to strengthen logistics connectivity across the Americas, according to a news release.
The 333,681-square-foot facility is located about 3-miles from the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico’s busiest container gateway, which handles nearly half of the country’s containerized cargo.
The depot has capacity for 6,018 twenty-foot equivalent units and includes 50 reefer plugs, repair facilities, shunting services and transloading capabilities designed to reduce port congestion and improve first- and last-mile efficiency. Maersk said the site will support faster cargo flows from Asia into Mexico’s industrial regions, including the Bajío and central corridor, while reinforcing supply chain resilience amid rising regional trade demand.