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Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
Export and Import Values, Port Laredo, 2003-2024 (in billions)
Exhibit 3
Exhibit 4
Exhibit 5
Exhibit 6Border Crossings through Port Laredo, 2022-2024
Port of Entry: LaredoImpact to the Texas Economy, 2024
Texas ports of entry accounted for more than $1 trillion in international trade in 2024.1 Texas has 32 official ports of entry that serve as critical gateways to global trade. Each port — whether an airport, land port or seaport — serves many domestic and international economic activities across multiple industries. Each port also plays a distinctive role in the state’s transportation network and contributes to state and local economies.
Of Texas’ total international trade, $547.9 billion, or 51.5 percent, traveled across the state’s border crossings with Mexico, with Port Laredo accounting for 62 percent of land port trade, or about $339.7 billion. Each Texas land port is unique, facilitating the movement of people and goods between neighboring countries through rail, commercial and personal vehicles and pedestrian traffic.
Economic Contribution of Trade
Based on the Comptroller’s estimate, trade through Port Laredo in 2024 resulted in 1.1 million net jobs and contributed $135.2 billion to Texas’ gross domestic product (GDP) (Exhibit 1).
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Total direct trade value | $339.7 billion |
| Gross domestic product | $135.2 billion |
| Total employment | 1,067,039 |
Notes: “Gross domestic product” refers to the total value of all final goods and services produced in Texas; “Total employment” refers to both direct and indirect employment.
Sources: Regional Economic Models Inc. (REMI) model for Texas, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Port Laredo Trade
Laredo’s several border crossings form one of 11 land ports with international trade data along Texas’ 1,254-mile border with Mexico. Total trade through Port Laredo rose 324 percent from 2003 levels. Port Laredo was a net importer by trade value in 2024, with $211 billion in imports and $128.6 billion in exports (Exhibit 2).
Data for Exhibit 2
| Year | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $32.5 | $47.6 | $80.1 |
| 2004 | $38.6 | $52.7 | $91.3 |
| 2005 | $41.2 | $54.4 | $95.6 |
| 2006 | $45.8 | $59.8 | $105.7 |
| 2007 | $47.1 | $65.4 | $112.5 |
| 2008 | $54.2 | $64.6 | $118.8 |
| 2009 | $45.7 | $52.7 | $98.4 |
| 2010 | $57.7 | $67.6 | $125.3 |
| 2011 | $68.2 | $81.6 | $149.8 |
| 2012 | $76.6 | $92.0 | $168.5 |
| 2013 | $82.9 | $97.1 | $180.0 |
| 2014 | $91.8 | $107.8 | $199.6 |
| 2015 | $91.8 | $113.3 | $205.1 |
| 2016 | $88.8 | $110.9 | $199.7 |
| 2017 | $94.5 | $119.6 | $214.0 |
| 2018 | $100.4 | $133.2 | $233.6 |
| 2019 | $95.5 | $135.8 | $231.3 |
| 2020 | $81.3 | $125.2 | $206.5 |
| 2021 | $100.1 | $148.5 | $248.6 |
| 2022 | $115.7 | $182.3 | $298.0 |
| 2023 | $122.9 | $195.8 | $318.7 |
| 2024 | $128.6 | $211.0 | $339.5 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
The top export commodities by value from Port Laredo in 2024 were machinery and mechanical appliances ($22.5 billion), followed by vehicle parts ($18.6 billion) and electrical machinery and equipment ($18.5 billion). These commodities accounted for 46.4 percent of the port’s total exports. Top imports to the port included vehicle parts ($64.4 billion), machinery and mechanical appliances ($48.1 billion) and electric machinery and equipment ($36.3 billion) (Exhibit 3).
| Commodity | Value (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Machinery and Mechanical Appliances | $22,528.6 |
| Vehicle Parts | $18,636.1 |
| Electric Machinery and Equipment | $18,516.6 |
| Plastic Products | $10,941.4 |
| Mineral Fuels | $4,771.3 |
| Total All Commodities | $128,584.6 |
| Commodity | Value (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Parts | $64,374.9 |
| Machinery and Mechanical Appliances | $48,058.9 |
| Electric Machinery and Equipment | $36,320.3 |
| Misc. Manufactured Articles | $5,790.7 |
| Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar | $4,584.4 |
| Total All Commodities | $21,0950.3 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
The value of exports from Port Laredo to its top five recipient countries was $128.6 billion in 2024, or 99.9 percent of its total. Mexico was the leading destination for exported goods, receiving almost all exported commodities from the port (Exhibit 4).
| Country | Exports Value (in millions) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $128,337.9 | 100% |
| Nicaragua | $129.9 | 01% |
| Honduras | $19.3 | 0% |
| Guatemala | $14.1 | 0% |
| Chile | $13.9 | 0% |
| Other | $69.5 | 0% |
| Total Export Value | $128,584.6 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
Port Laredo’s top five import trading partners accounted for 98 percent of its $211 billion in imports in 2024, with Mexico comprising 96.1 percent of all imports (Exhibit 5).
| Country | Imports Value (in millions) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $202,762.3 | 96.1% |
| China | $1,798.4 | 0.9% |
| France | $1,067.8 | 0.5% |
| Nicaragua | $687.9 | 0.3% |
| Japan | $669.3 | 0.3% |
| Other | $3,964.6 | 1.9% |
| Total Import Value | $210,950.3 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
Border Crossings
In 2024, the Laredo port of entry handled northbound border-crossing traffic of over 9.9 million personal vehicle passengers, an increase of 12.9 percent from 2022. Truck, automobile and pedestrian border crossings at Port Laredo all saw increases from 2022 to 2024 (Exhibit 6).2
Data for Exhibit 6
| Description | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 2,490,687 | 2,550,209 | 2,954,326 |
| Vehicle Passengers | 8,778,931 | 9,512,794 | 9,912,909 |
| Personal Vehicles | 4,552,930 | 4,908,368 | 5,088,431 |
| Trucks | 2,799,601 | 2,936,130 | 3,026,632 |
Source: U.S. Dept. of Transportation — Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Endnotes
- U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online — U.S. Import and Export Merchandise trade statistics. ↳
- U.S. Dept. of Transportation — Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Query Tool — Border Crossing Entry Data (2022, 2023 and 2024) https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/Tables-Query-Tool/6rt4-smhh (Last visited June 30, 2025). ↳