President Trump has stated that he will impose a 5% tariff on all goods from Mexico on June 10 if Mexico does not take action to slow the volume of immigrants at the US border. The Perryman Group, an economic analysis firm based in Texas, analyzed the economic implications of such a tariff and found that it would likely cost hundreds of thousands of US jobs if enacted and maintained.
The current slowdown at the US-Mexico border is causing substantial economic harms. Trade volume has grown substantially, more than doubling over the past 20 years and up 55% between 2010 and 2018. During 2018, total trade volume between the United States and Mexico exceeded $611.5 billion, with $265.0 billion in US exports to Mexico and $346.5 billion in imports from Mexico. In fact, recent data for January and February of 2019 reveals that, for the first time, Mexico is the top US trading partner.
Import and export activity is an essential aspect of optimizing economic performance. By allowing each nation to focus resources on those goods and services where it has a competitive advantage and import other products, foreign trade helps improve business conditions and quality of life around the globe.