Five states account for nearly 60% of Mexico’s exports and shape the country’s industrial map
Mexican foreign trade continues to show a strong geographic concentration. According to INEGI figures for the third quarter of 2025, five states—Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Baja California, and Jalisco—together generated 58.6% of the total value of state exports. The data confirm that the country’s export momentum rests largely on a handful of manufacturing hubs that are highly integrated into North American supply chains.
Chihuahua topped the list with 18.9% of national exports during the period, equivalent to $28,907.9 million. Its profile is explained by the predominance of manufacturing, which accounted for 98.8% of the state’s foreign sales, driven by the production of computer equipment, communications and electronic components, as well as transportation equipment. Proximity to the border and the consolidation of export-oriented plants have made the state a key cog in the regional economy tied to the United States.
Coahuila ranked second, with exports of $17,719.4 million and an 11.6% share. Like Chihuahua, its export structure is dominated by manufacturing (98.2%), with the automotive sector playing an outsized role. Transportation equipment manufacturing alone totaled $11,665.9 million, making Coahuila one of the most important states nationally in that subsector, at a time when automakers and suppliers are seeking shorter, more resilient supply chains in North America.
Nuevo León placed third with $14,735.4 million (9.7% of the national total). Manufacturing made up virtually its entire export basket (around 99.7%), with a mix that includes machinery, electrical equipment, and electronic components. Although the total value posted a slight year-over-year decline, the state remains an industrial and logistics center, supported by its supplier base, infrastructure, and specialized services, as well as its growing role in the relocation of investment associated with nearshoring.
Baja California came in fourth, with $14,145.8 million and a 9.3% share. Its strength lies in high-tech manufacturing—particularly electronics and devices tied to cross-border supply chains—which represented more than 98% of its exports. The binational dynamic along the border and just-in-time operations with the United States explain its relevance, though they also make it more sensitive to logistics disruptions, regulatory changes, and demand cycles in the U.S. market.
Jalisco rounded out the top five exporters with $13,839.7 million and a 9.1% share. It posted one of the strongest year-over-year gains in the country, with an 89.1% increase in export value, supported by a manufacturing-heavy basket (97.9%) in which the electronics subsector surged. The state has solidified its position as a technology and industrial hub in western Mexico, with ecosystems that combine advanced manufacturing, services, and supplier networks. Its challenge will be sustaining that pace in an environment of still-elevated interest rates and a gradual normalization of external demand.
The economic takeaway behind this concentration goes beyond volume: it reflects productive specialization, logistics infrastructure, and proximity to key corridors into the United States, the destination for most Mexican exports under the USMCA. In recent years, deeper regional integration, U.S. companies’ search for closer suppliers, and adjustments to global supply chains have benefited states with installed capacity, human capital, and connectivity. However, it also highlights a structural challenge: a large share of the country participates less in the export boom, whether due to infrastructure constraints, a smaller industrial base, or weaker productive linkages.
Looking ahead, the performance of these five states will be closely tied to the trajectory of the U.S. economy, cycles in the automotive and electronics sectors, and domestic factors such as the availability of energy and water, public safety, and logistics capacity. USMCA rules of origin, the trend toward process automation, and new investment linked to e-mobility, semiconductors, and precision manufacturing will also matter. For Mexico, the challenge will be to capitalize on the export strength of these hubs without widening regional gaps, by strengthening infrastructure, technical training, and investment conditions in more states.
In perspective, the figures confirm that Mexico’s export engine is concentrated in a handful of highly industrialized states connected to North America. This concentration has boosted growth and formal employment in specific regions, but it also underscores the need to broaden the export base and address bottlenecks—energy, logistics, and security—so that foreign trade contributes more evenly to the country’s economic performance.
