Mexico Pushes to Narrow U.S. Trade Deficit with Increased American Imports

President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico will expand purchases of U.S. goods as a concrete step toward narrowing the bilateral trade imbalance and securing a new trade agreement with Washington. She told reporters that the initiative follows a recent conversation with President Donald Trump, during which she said most obstacles to a deal have been cleared.

Bloomberg

Mexico’s trade surplus with the United States has surged, exceeding $280 billion through August—up 51 percent from the same period a year earlier—despite lingering uncertainty over the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The widening gap is driven in part by a rapid rise in Mexican exports of electronic components linked to AI development, while the country continues to import large volumes of natural gas, motor fuels, machinery, industrial equipment and agricultural commodities from the United States.

Bloomberg

Sheinbaum emphasized that buying more American products and curbing purchases from other nations are central to Mexico’s strategy to reduce the deficit. She added that the government remains committed to boosting domestic production of fuels such as natural gas, even as U.S. producers already satisfy more than 70 percent of Mexico’s gas demand. President Trump, in turn, reiterated that Mexico has not done enough to narrow the imbalance, urging further U.S. energy purchases.

Bloomberg

• Trade surplus with the U.S.: >$280 billion, a 51 % year-over-year increase.

Bloomberg

• U.S. natural-gas supply to Mexico: > 70 % of total demand.

Bloomberg

• Mexican exports of electronic goods, including servers, have risen sharply, contributing to the deficit.

Bloomberg

Mexican trade officials are confident that a deal with Washington is near and expect negotiations on reduced U.S. tariffs for Mexican steel, aluminum and light vehicles to resume later this month, though a formal USMCA round has not yet been scheduled.

Bloomberg

• “We are doing many things to help reduce the deficit, above all, buying goods from the United States and stopping purchases from other countries, which will allow us to reduce the deficit,” — Claudia Sheinbaum, en español president

Bloomberg