Customs duty from Mexico to United States: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• USMCA (in force since 2020) gives 0% duty on qualifying originating goods, and remains technically in force after the US declined full renewal at its July 2026 joint review.
• Mexico was the single largest source of US goods imports in 2025, at $534.31 billion - more than any other single country.
• Unlike Canada, Mexico has not been named in the August 2026 Section 338 sectoral tariff action targeting autos, alcohol, and dairy at 50%.
• USMCA rules-of-origin compliance - particularly regional value content requirements for autos - matters far more to your actual cost than any headline “tariff rate,” since qualifying vs. non-qualifying status is the difference between 0% and a double-digit rate.
• The current rate for non-USMCA-qualifying general merchandise from Mexico isn’t clearly confirmed in publicly available sources as of this writing.

Mexico-US Trade at a Glance

Mexico is the single largest source of US goods imports of any country, at $534.31 billion in 2025 - ahead of Canada ($381.92 billion) and China ($308.65 billion). The US ran a $197.03 billion goods trade deficit with Mexico in 2025 (US Census Bureau).

Is There a Trade Deal Between Mexico and the US?

Yes - USMCA, in force since 1 July 2020, gives 0% duty on the large majority of Mexico-US goods trade for products meeting its rules of origin. At the agreement’s first mandatory joint review on 1 July 2026, the US declined to renew it outright, choosing continued bilateral negotiation instead; USMCA remains in force pending further annual reviews ahead of its 2036 sunset (USTR). Reporting indicates the US and Mexico have been pursuing a separate bilateral negotiating track from Canada, with a third round of talks noted around 20 July 2026.

What Tariffs Apply Right Now (And Why That Keeps Changing)

For USMCA-qualifying goods, 0% duty applies and this has stayed comparatively stable through 2025-2026’s broader tariff turbulence. The situation for non-qualifying general merchandise is less clear. A 25% IEEPA-based tariff tied to fentanyl and border-security concerns was imposed on non-USMCA-qualifying Mexican goods in February 2025 - but that tariff, like all IEEPA-based tariffs, should have been invalidated by the US Supreme Court’s February 2026 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, which found IEEPA doesn’t authorize tariffs at all. What replaced it for this specific lane isn’t clearly confirmed in currently available sources: Mexico is understood to sit in the July 2026 Section 301 forced-labor tariff program’s 10% additive tier, but whether an additional border/fentanyl-linked layer persists on top of that is unverified as of this writing. Unlike Canada, Mexico has not been named in the August 2026 Section 338 sectoral action on autos, alcohol, and dairy.

How Much Will You Pay Importing from Mexico to the US?

For USMCA-qualifying goods, duty is 0% - by far the most consequential factor on this lane is whether your goods actually meet USMCA’s rules of origin (particularly regional value content thresholds for autos and auto parts), not any headline tariff percentage. For non-qualifying goods, the current rate isn’t confidently confirmed here - check a live CBP or customs-broker tariff lookup before relying on a specific figure. US valuation uses FOB, there’s no VAT (only state sales tax at checkout), no de minimis exemption at any value, and a Merchandise Processing Fee of roughly $8.06 on a typical informal entry.

This site’s live calculator uses a flat general-merchandise duty estimate that doesn’t reflect USMCA’s 0% for qualifying goods - for a USMCA-qualifying shipment, the calculator’s output will overstate your actual cost; for a non-qualifying shipment, treat it as a rough approximation only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mexico-US trade duty-free under USMCA?

For goods that meet USMCA’s rules of origin, yes - 0% duty. Non-qualifying goods pay a different rate that isn’t clearly confirmed in current public guidance; USMCA qualification is the single biggest factor in your actual cost.

Is Mexico really the US’s biggest import source?

Yes - Mexico supplied $534.31 billion in US goods imports in 2025, more than any other single country, including Canada and China.

Did Mexico get hit with the same 50% tariff as Canadian autos, alcohol, and dairy?

No. The August 2026 Section 338 sectoral tariff action named Canada specifically for autos, alcoholic beverages, and dairy - Mexico has not been included in that action as of this writing.

What matters most for my actual cost on this lane?

USMCA rules-of-origin compliance, especially regional value content requirements for automotive goods. Whether a shipment qualifies as USMCA-originating determines 0% versus a materially higher rate - it matters more than any single published tariff percentage.