Mexican exports of textiles and clothing to the United States amounted to 1.344 billion dollars, with a share of the total imports of these products in the U.S. market decreasing from 4.4% to 4.1%.
From January to April 2024, Mexico recorded an 8.6% year-on-year decrease in its exports of textiles and clothing to the United States, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
This decline reduced Mexico’s share of total U.S. imports of textiles and clothing from 4.4% to 4.1%.
In the context of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the United States adjusted the textile quotas in its favor compared to those established in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Throughout 2023, Mexican exports of textiles and garments fell by 6.7%, reaching 4.395 billion dollars, following a series of fluctuations in this indicator.
The USMCA maintains all the textile quotas from NAFTA, known as TPLs, which allow preferential tariff treatment for a limited amount of non-originating products, with some changes in quantities and coverage scope.
Overall, these changes either maintained or decreased the duty-free amount that Canada and Mexico can export to the United States, while maintaining or increasing the amount that the United States can export to Canada and Mexico.
For example, the United States reduced the quota for cotton and man-made fiber fabrics and apparel from Mexico from 24 to 22.8 million square meters equivalent.
The TPL for cotton and man-made fiber yarns from Mexico was also reduced from 1 million kilos to 700,000 kilos.
The most significant reduction was for the quota of cotton and man-made fiber apparel that the United States grants to Canada, which was reduced from 80 to 40 million square meters equivalent, while for Mexico it remained at 45 million square meters equivalent.
The wool apparel quota for Mexico remained unchanged at 1.5 million square meters equivalent annually.
In the past decade, Mexico’s share of U.S. imports of textiles and clothing fluctuated between 3.6% and 4.5%.
The Textiles and Apparel Chapter of the USMCA establishes a Textile Committee composed of government representatives from the three countries.
In some cases, a textile product or garment containing non-originating materials, such as fibers or yarns, that do not meet the requirements to be classified as originating goods under Chapter 4 or its annexes, may be classified as originating if the total weight of the non-originating materials does not exceed 10% of the total weight of the good.
