The United States exports the majority of its plastics to its three main trading partners: Canada, Mexico, and China. In 2024, US plastics exports will total $31.676 billion
The United States currently exports 31% of its plastics to Mexico, so a tariff war would have a severe impact on the plastics industries of both nations, noted Perc Pineda, Chief Economist of the Plastics Industry Association of America (PLASTICS).
During his participation in the talk “United States Perspective on the USMCA/T-MEC Review,” the economist highlighted that there are two key dates prior to the review of the currently valid Free Trade Agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States:
A review of the agreement agreed upon for 2026
Expiration of the agreement in 2036
Pineda emphasized that, given the trade policy promoted by President Trump (governed under the motto “America First”), these dates will most likely be accelerated at the request of US policy.
Mexico’s Position in the Plastics Market
The Chief Economist of PLASTICS highlighted that Mexico is the main export market for plastics in the United States, followed by Canada and China, the three countries currently facing the tariff threat promoted by US President Donald Trump.
Globally, Mexico ranks eighth among countries with the highest volume of plastics trade (approximately $46 billion), and this position is expected to continue improving in the coming years.
Tariffs would affect plastics exports
In terms of exports, the United States exports the majority of the plastics it produces to its three main trading partners: Canada, Mexico, and China. In 2024, US exports of plastic products totaled $31.676 billion. The percentage share by country was:
- Mexico (31%)
- Canada (25%)
- China (6%)
- Germany (3%)
- United Kingdom (2%)
Regarding plastic resin exports from the US, these totaled $42.623 billion in 2024. The percentage of participation by country was:
- Mexico (22%)
- Canada (14%)
- China (12%)
- Belgium (7%)
- Brazil (6%)
There is room for growth for the Plastics Industry
Given the significant interconnectedness of North American economies, Pineda considered that there is no way trade relations will be severed. On the contrary, “free trade is likely to be maintained in one form or another, without the tariffs promoted by Trump materializing for long.”
In this sense, the expert noted that there is little chance of a reduction in free trade between Mexico, Canada, and the United States, given the deep interconnectedness of these countries’ economies.
“For the Plastics Industry, the world is our market. We thrive on fair trade, and with well-designed trade agreements, we will achieve better business results for everyone,” Pineda commented.