Imports from Mexico a growing share of this state’s trade

Of countries who ship goods to Washington state, Mexico is eighth on the list, with more than $1.3 billion worth of goods shipped here in 2015 according to international trade data from the U.S. Census.

Mexican imports also comprise a growing share of total imports to Washington, the data shows, growing from 1.2 percent in 2012 to 2.6 percent in 2015.

If the Trump administration taxes Mexican imports, that country might also tax our goods too. Businesses hoping to sell goods in Mexico would face their own trade barrier.

And though President Donald Trump says America as a whole has a trade deficit with Mexico, that’s not the case for Washington state businesses.

Here, the value of our goods that we export to Mexico surpasses the value of goods shipped here from Mexico.

In 2015, nearly $1.9 billion worth of Washington goods went to Mexico, a number that has declined since 2012, Census data show.

World Trade Center Tacoma often helps people and businesses navigate the complex world of importing and exporting.

Executive Director Louise Tieman said one group wants to import food products from Mexico for their business, and they hope to export the finished product elsewhere. Another is a local company that wants to export cellular tower equipment to telecom companies in Mexico.

Now with Trump’s policy proposal, companies may balk because they won’t be able to make a good deal.

“I’m sure this is going to cause great uncertainty,” she said Thursday. Trump’s proposal “probably serves to delay implementation of their plans.

“It feels like a step backward to go from a free trade agreement to a tariff tit for tat, “ Tieman said. “Those figures represent thousands of Washington state jobs.”

According to the Washington Council on International Trade, the highest-value imports to Washington from Mexico include vehicles, sound and television equipment, industrial machinery and computers, medical supplies, citrus and nuts. Imports also included nearly $34 million in aircraft parts in 2015.

Washington state exported more than half a billion dollars worth of aircraft to Mexico in 2015, the data from WCIT show. Other top exports include a wide variety of agricultural products such as fruits and nuts, dairy products, eggs and wood. The state exports millions of dollars in manufactured goods such as vehicles and their parts, medical supplies and industrial machinery to Mexico as well.

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Imports from Mexico a growing share of this state’s trade."