Mexican exports advanced in August 2026, reaching a value of 78 billion 010 million dollars (mdd), an increase of 40.4% annually , according to the Mexican Merchandise Trade Balance (BCMM), published by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .
This growth allowed Mexico to post a trade surplus of $605 million , following the $848 million deficit recorded in July. The result also extended the accumulated positive balance for the first eight months of the year to $9.86 billion .
August’s performance was driven by non-oil exports, which increased 41.7% year-on-year, and a 2.8% drop in oil sales.
Non-automotive manufacturing takes center stage
The main driver of exports was the manufacturing sector, whose sales abroad grew 42.6% annually to 73,619 million dollars.
Within this segment, the performance of electrical and electronic equipment and appliances stood out , with exports increasing by 122.3% year-on-year. Mining and metallurgy products also performed exceptionally well , with a 50.4% increase, while plastic and rubber products grew by 10.6% year-on-year.
This performance contrasts with that of the automotive industry. Exports from this sector fell 2.2% year-on-year in August, with reductions in sales to the United States (-1.0%) as well as those to other markets (-7.8%).
The composition of the growth is relevant: the export advance in August did not depend exclusively on the automotive sector , but was accompanied by a particularly high expansion of non-automotive manufacturing.
This trend is also reflected in the relationship with the United States. In August 2026, non-oil exports to that market grew by 45.2% year-on-year, while those to the rest of the world increased by 23.5%. The United States accounted for 84.69% of total non-oil exports between January and August of this year .
In the first eight months of 2026, the value structure of merchandise exports was 92.1% manufactured goods, 2.7% non-oil extractive products, 2.6% oil goods, and 2.6% agricultural products.
Imports show higher demand for inputs
In August 2026, Mexico imported goods worth 77 billion 405 million dollars , an increase of 34.2% annually, with a strong advance in intermediate use goods, whose imports amounted to 63 billion 255 million dollars, 41.9% more than in August 2025.
Imports of capital goods reached $5,018 million, which implied an annual growth of 6.9 percent.
In the period January-August 2026, the accumulated value of total imports was 539 billion 537 million dollars, an amount 26.8% higher than that observed in the same period of 2025. Within it, non-oil imports rose 27.4% and oil imports 18% at an annual rate.
In the first eight months of the year, the structure of the value of imports was as follows: intermediate goods with 80.4%, consumer goods with 12.5% and capital goods with 7.1 percent.
August figures show Mexican foreign trade with considerable expansion in 2026, although with export growth accompanied by strong demand for imported inputs, particularly those linked to manufacturing production.
The data also suggests that the performance of Mexican exports is beginning to show a broader composition than the traditional automotive strength.
In logistical terms, the above may translate into greater pressure on the flow of goods in and out, particularly in corridors linked to the manufacturing industry and to Mexico-United States trade .
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