An Overview of
Federal Drug Control Programs
on the Southwest Border
Commerce between the United States and Mexico
U.S.-Mexico trade has more than doubled from 1990 through 1996 ($73.9 to $149.5 billion)
- Two-way merchandise trade increased 122 percent ($58.6 to $129.8 billion)
- Two-way services trade increased 29 percent ($15.3 to $19.7 billion)
Imports from the United States accounted for three quarters of all Mexican imports in 1996
- Total value of Mexican imports increased 127 percent from 1990 through 1996 ($39.3 to $89.4 billion).
- U.S. share of imports increased from 75 percent in 1990 to 76 percent in 1996.
Mexico accounted for 9.1 percent ($56.8 billion) of all U.S. exports in 1996; five states accounted for nearly two-thirds of these exports to Mexico:
- Texas (32.1 percent)
- California (15.6 percent)
- Michigan (10.0 percent)
- Indiana (4.7 percent)
- Illinois (3.6 percent)
Among the four Southwest border states, Texas relies most on exports to Mexico. As a share of total exports in 1996, exports to Mexico were:
- 33.9 percent for Texas
- 16.1 percent for Arizona
- 10.9 percent for New Mexico
- 8.4 percent for California
In 1995, five Southwest border ports of entry were among the 12 busiest ports of entry in the United States (based on the number of formal Customs entries).
- Laredo, Texas (281,881 formal Customs entries)
- El Paso, Texas (248,184 formal Customs entries)
- Otay Mesa, California (191,680 formal Customs entries)
- Nogales, Arizona (150,445 formal Customs entries)
- Calexico, California (63,769 formal Customs entries)
Note: A formal Customs entry is an importation exceeding $1,250 or any textile importation.
Sources: Office of the United States Trade Representative; U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Customs Service; Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research.
See Graphs on Commerce Between the United States and Mexico:
