Mexico led US trade April 2025, exporting $41.87 billion amid major tariff changes. U.S. imports from Mexico fell 5.2% but Mexico still outpaced China and Canada.
According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday, Mexico’s exports to the U.S. reached $41.869 billion in April, making it the top exporter to its northern neighbor. Even though that figure represents a 2.7 percent decline compared with April 2024, it still outpaced Chinese exports, which fell 19.7 percent, and Canadian exports, which dropped 14.4 percent over the same period.
Meanwhile, U.S. imports of goods from Mexico totaled $27.846 billion in April, a 5.2 percent year-over-year decrease. Despite softer U.S. demand for Mexican goods relative to April 2024, Mexico’s position at the top of the export leaderboard reflects how other major partners saw steeper declines. Chinese shipments to the United States totaled $25.378 billion in April (down 19.7 percent), while Canada’s exports, at $29.438 billion, were 14.4 percent lower than a year earlier.
Mexico also surpassed Canada as the largest destination for U.S. exports for the second time this year. In April, U.S. sales to Mexico reached $27.846 billion, compared with $27.179 billion to Canada (an 11.4 percent drop), and $8.193 billion to China (a 29.1 percent fall).
Taken together—exports plus imports—Mexico accounted for a 14.7 percent share of total U.S. trade during the first four months of 2025. By comparison, Canada held 13.1 percent and China 8.7 percent. Those figures show that Mexico remained the single largest U.S. trading partner by volume.
U.S. Trade Balance Shifts
Despite Mexico’s overall lead in bilateral trade, its share of total U.S. imports slipped from 15.9 percent in April 2024 to 15.1 percent in April 2025. That decline suggests U.S. buyers of foreign goods were slightly more active when it came to sourcing from other markets. On a global scale, U.S. imports rose 1.9 percent year-over-year in April to $276.086 billion. At the same time, U.S. exports climbed 10.2 percent to $188.593 billion. By contrast, U.S. exports to Mexico fell by 5.2 percent.
Still, Mexico posted a positive trade balance with the United States in April 2025. The surplus reached $14.023 billion—up 2.8 percent from the $13.647 billion recorded in April 2024. Canada’s surplus with the United States shrank by 39 percent (a decline of $2.258 billion), while China’s surplus fell by 14.3 percent, or $17.185 billion.
Tariff Changes and Trade Dynamics
April 2025 also marked the implementation of significant new tariffs under U.S. President Donald Trump. Effective April 9, the tariff on most Chinese goods jumped from 34 percent to 84 percent, and a day later on April 10 it rose further to 125 percent. Trump also set a minimum global tariff of 10 percent, with some countries facing rates as high as 50 percent on specific products. These moves represented the largest unilateral tariff shifts in history by volume.
For countries other than China, the White House announced a 90-day suspension of country-specific tariffs starting in early April, keeping most rates at 10 percent. That meant U.S. importers continued to pay a baseline tariff on many foreign goods, but with a temporary pause on additional duties for countries other than China.
The tariff upheaval reshuffled trade flows in April. Mexico felt the impact of slightly lower U.S. demand, but its proximity, existing supply chains, and participation in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) helped it weather the storm better than other large exporters. In contrast, Canada’s exports to the United States fell sharply, and China saw its share of the U.S. import market contract even as its trade surplus with the United States decreased.
In early May, the White House and Beijing reached a new agreement: on May 12, the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day tariff reduction. Two days later, on May 14, Trump cut the tariff rate on Chinese goods from 125 percent to 10 percent for 90 days. Those adjustments may reshape trade statistics in May and June, but April data still reflect the full impact of the April tariff hikes.
Outlook for Mexico-U.S. Trade
Analysts expect Mexico to maintain a leading role in U.S. trade for the rest of 2025. Its large manufacturing base, especially in automotive and electronics, ties closely to U.S. supply chains. Meanwhile, U.S. agricultural and energy firms continue to sell substantial volumes to the Mexican market.
However, the modest year-over-year declines in both exports and imports signal that higher tariffs and global uncertainty will keep trade volumes from expanding quickly in the near term. A bounce in overall U.S. imports—up 1.9 percent in April—suggests U.S. demand for foreign goods can still grow even when imports from major partners like Mexico dip.
For now, Mexico’s position as the top U.S. trading partner underscores how crucial cross-border commerce remains—even in an era of escalating tariffs. As the new tariff accords take effect, both nations will watch closely to see how these trade policies influence supply chains, prices, and the broader economic recovery.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (April 2025 trade data); White House announcements (May 12 and May 14, 2025).
