The Mexican Border - More than a crossing; A major economic engine for the U.S.

According to the U.S. Census, the country of Mexico has emerged as the top trade partner of the U.S. In 2023 the U.S. traded $798 Billion with Mexico. In addition to goods, the Mexico Institute shows that nearly five million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico. It further shows that if trade between the U.S. and Mexico is halted, 4.9 Million Americans across the county would be out of work.

Texas and California are responsible for most of the U.S. demand for goods from Mexico. U.S. based companies, as well as those based in our home state of Texas, are reliant upon the cost-effective goods and materials derived from Mexico. This allows Mexico to support jobs in our U.S. industries.

Texas greatly benefits from the proximity to Mexico. While the USA shares a 2,000 mile border with 46 active land ports of entry, Texas shares a 1,254 mile border and remains the USA's busiest gateway for goods. Along the Texas / Mexico shared border there are 28 vehicle border crossings coupled with numerous airports, seaports, rail lines, pipelines and more crossings which connect more than 7 million residents and businesses.

According to the Office of the Governor -Texas & Mexico Trade, in 2022 trade between Texas and Mexico was $285.6 Billion, allowing Mexico to be ranked as Texas’ #1 trade partner. Mexico was also Texas’ #1 export partner with $144.3 Billion in exports. In the past decade Mexican companies have reported 38 investment projects in Texas, $2.9 Billion in capital investment and more than 5,400 new Jobs.

While the export contributions from Mexico are significant, our relationship with Mexico does not end with the goods and services imported by the United States. Hispanic workers make up 16.2 percent of the U.S. workforce, and come from a variety of different backgrounds. However, the largest group by far are workers of Mexican descent, who comprise 62.1 percent of the Hispanic workforce (14.9 million).

Foreign-born Hispanics contributed $96.9 billion in tax revenues nationwide. That included almost $36 billion in state and local taxes and more than $61 billion in taxes to the federal government. In some states, Hispanics account for a large percentage of spending power and tax revenues overall.

The Texas Demographic Center reports more than 11.4 million Hispanics in Texas found on the 2020 census. Mexicans are the largest ethnic group in Texas representing 83% or 9.5 million of the population. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the current labor force of Hispanics was the highest at 66%.

The cooperative relationships between Mexico and Texas have resulted in numerous cross-border collaborative meetings between local Austin business and public officials leaders with counterparts from numerous states in Mexico. The USHCA remains committed to forging further relationships with industry and elected officials in Mexico, identifying additional resources for constructions goods, supplies and services, and identifying methods to ensure access to cost-effective construction supplies remain available.

As we further establish those resources and relationships, we will follow up with additional progress reports as available. Partnering with our counterparts in Mexico is good business for Texans and our community.