Mexico closes first half of the year as largest trading partner of the U.S.

Mexico ended the first semester as the main partner of the United States, after accumulating a commercial exchange of 320 billion dollars, according to official US figures published on Thursday. According to the Census Bureau of the US Department of Commerce, Mexico accounted for 14.7 percent of total exports and imports between January and June.

In the first six months of 2021, Mexico's exports to the US amounted to 186,439 billion dollars, 29.5 percent more than the 143,955 billion dollars of the same period last year. Meanwhile, imports amounted to 133.529 billion dollars, an annual increase of 36 percent compared to 98.140 billion dollars in the first half of 2020.

It should be noted that last year's figures were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially during the second quarter of the year, a period in which there was a massive worldwide confinement. Even though Mexico continues to be the main partner of the U.S., in June alone, it was in second place for the second consecutive month, once again surpassed by Canada.

According to data from the US agency, trade between Mexico and the US last June amounted to 57.2 billion dollars, which represented 14.6 percent of total US trade. This figure was surpassed by Canada's 15.1%, which totaled 58.8 billion dollars in the sixth month of 2020.

For Luz María de la Mora, Undersecretary of Commerce of the Ministry of Economy, the figures presented by Mexico in its trade with the United States show that the country is on the road to economic recovery.