Trump hits appliance shipments from Mexico

As the second-largest exporter to the United States in the household appliance category, Mexico stands out due to the impact of the tariffs that the Trump administration will implement on imports in this category starting June 23.

In addition to the 50% tariffs already levied on imports of steel, aluminum, and derivatives of both metals, U.S. Customs will extend this tariff to other products such as washing machines, dishwashers, stoves, and ovens, among others.

Mexico exported $9.462 billion worth of household electrical appliances to the United States in 2024, surpassed only by China, whose sales to that market were $18.547 billion, according to data from the Department of Commerce.

The new tariffs were included on an additional range of "steel products" and were detailed in a notice the Commerce Department released Thursday.

On June 3, Trump signed a proclamation increasing tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives from 25% to 50%, effective the following day.

Trump did not exclude his two neighbors from this measure, violating the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), while temporarily maintaining the original 25% tariff on imports from the United Kingdom as part of the Economic Prosperity Agreement of May 8, 2025.

In disaggregated terms, Mexico exported white goods to the U.S. market for a value of $7.857 billion in 2024, representing a 3.5% annual decrease.

This classification includes refrigerators, conventional and microwave ovens, washing machines, clothes dryers, and dishwashers, among others.

Mexico also exported small household appliances to the United States, such as blenders, mixers, humidifiers, electric cookware, electric ovens, and vacuum cleaners, valued at $1.605 billion, a year-over-year increase of 9.3 percent.

The new products subject to the 50% tariff are: combined refrigerator-freezers; dryers; washing machines; dishwashers; upright and chest refrigerators; ranges, stoves, and ovens; food waste disposers; and welded wire racks.

Worldwide, U.S. imports of household electrical appliances totaled $41.887 billion in 2024, a 6.3% increase over 2023.

Other notable suppliers were: South Korea ($3.301 billion), Thailand ($2.003 billion), Vietnam ($1.807 billion) and Canada ($992 million).

More recently, from January to April 2025, Mexico exported these same products to the United States for a value of $3.014 billion, a 0.3% decrease in annualized growth.

Mexico negotiates elimination

Last week, Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to eliminate tariffs on steel and aluminum imports (including their derivatives) from Mexico.

Ebrard argued that the United States has a surplus with Mexico in trade in these goods, that an exception has already been made with the United Kingdom, and that the tariff measure affects employment in Mexico and the United States because the two nations are productively linked.

In 2024, the United States had a surplus in its trade with Mexico in steel and aluminum, along with their derived products, of $4.562 billion, with exports totaling $15.012 billion and imports totaling $10.450 billion.

Ebrard commented that the Mexican government is awaiting the Trump administration's response.