U.S.-Mexico trade hits $94.29 billion in August; Laredo stays the nation's busiest gateway

Mexico remained the United States' largest trading partner in August as cross-border commerce surged 26.75% year over year to $94.29 billion, according to FreightWaves on Oct. 7, citing U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by WorldCity.

U.S. exports to Mexico rose 15.1% to $33.66 billion while imports from Mexico jumped 34.3% to $60.64 billion. Mexico accounted for 17.4% of total U.S. international trade during the month. Through the first eight months of 2026, U.S.-Mexico commerce reached $682.82 billion, up 17.5% from the same period last year — and August was the strongest August in WorldCity data going back to 2013.

Port Laredo kept its crown as the nation's busiest international trade gateway, handling $38.56 billion in two-way commerce, up 28.5% from $30.02 billion a year earlier. Imports through Laredo totaled $26.23 billion (up 33.9%) and exports reached $12.34 billion (up 18.3%); Laredo alone accounted for 7.1% of all U.S. international trade, and $37.62 billion — about 97.6% of its total — was driven by trade with Mexico.

The freight mix skews automotive: motor vehicle parts were Laredo's top export commodity at $1.33 billion, followed by diesel engines at $441 million, while computer exports through the gateway more than doubled from a year earlier to $370 million.