Computers and servers: Mexico's largest export to the US, led by AI racks

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Mexico Trade Corridor · Product brief · HS 8471

Computers and servers became Mexico's largest export to the United States in 2025, driven by racks for AI data centers. This brief sets out the numbers from both sides, the rules in force, and where assemblers need working capital.

Published October 23, 2026 · Facts as of October 23, 2026 · 10 min read · Trade data: UN Comtrade, 2020 to 2025 · Rules as of October 23, 2026

Facts as of October 23, 2026. This page states the facts as they stood on that date. Tariffs, rules and figures may have changed since publication. Tariffs and trade policy change often, so we review these pages every month and update them.

#1

Mexico's No. 1 export to the US in 2025, ranked by value as reported by Mexico (UN Comtrade, 4-digit HS codes). It is also No. 16 among imports from the US. The US figure is shown beside it because the two countries count the same trade differently.

US$78.3bnMexico's exports to the US, 2025, as reported by Mexico

US$89.9bnThe same flow, 2025, as reported by the US

+167.1%Change 2020 to 2025, Mexico data

US$2.6bnMexico's imports from the US in the same code, 2025, Mexico data

What is it?

HS 8471 covers computers and data-processing machines, such as servers and processing units, laptops, storage units and similar machines. Mexico reported US$78.3 billion of these exports to the US in 2025 ¹.

Why does it matter?

Computers and servers were 14.4% of Mexico's reported exports to the US in 2025, the largest single line ¹. Banco Base found that without them, Mexico's total exports would have fallen in 2025 instead of growing ².

How does it work?

Contract manufacturers in Chihuahua and Jalisco import chips and boards, mostly from Asia, assemble and test the machines, and send them north by truck, mainly into Texas ^2,6. Most are sold to a few large US buyers on credit terms.

In this brief

1. How big is the computer and server trade between Mexico and the US?
2. Which machines cross the border?
3. Who builds the machines, and where?
4. How do the machines get from the plant to the buyer?
5. Which rules and tariffs apply?
6. Where do assemblers need cash, and how is it financed?
7. What should computer and server traders watch next?

01How big is the computer and server trade between Mexico and the US?

Mexico reported US$78.3 billion of computer and server exports to the US in 2025. That is up 148.6% from US$31.5 billion in 2024, and up 167.1% from US$29.3 billion in 2020 ¹. Computers and servers were 14.4% of Mexico's US$545.4 billion of reported exports to the US, the largest of any 4-digit line ¹.

Banco Base, a Mexican bank, found that computer exports grew 144.8% in 2025. Without them, Mexico's total exports would have fallen 0.54% instead of growing 7.64% ².

US data shows a larger flow. For 2025, the US reported US$89.9 billion of imports from Mexico in this code, US$11.7 billion more than Mexico's figure ¹. In 2024 the US reported US$48.3 billion against Mexico's US$31.5 billion. No source explains the 2024 gap. Our data gap explainer sets out why the two sides count trade differently.

US data also counts units. It recorded 22.0 million units from Mexico in 2025, at an average of US$4,079 each, against 15.2 million units at US$3,184 in 2024 ¹.

Trade south is small. Mexico reported US$2.6 billion of imports from the US in 2025, while the US reported US$13.7 billion of exports to Mexico ¹.

Chart

Computer and server trade, both directions, both sides of the data

• Mexico to US, Mexico data
• Mexico to US, US data
• US to Mexico, Mexico data
• US to Mexico, US data

US$ billion. Solid lines: as reported by Mexico. Dashed lines: as reported by the US. Source: UN Comtrade, 2020 to 2025.

02Which machines cross the border?

Processing units lead by far. This 6-digit line includes servers and computing units. It was US$64.8 billion in 2025, or 82.8% of the total, as reported by Mexico ¹. US data puts the same line at US$80.5 billion ¹. Complete systems follow at US$5.4 billion, then laptops at US$3.0 billion and other units at US$2.9 billion ¹.

Mexico is now the second-largest supplier of servers to the US after Taiwan. For the first seven months of 2026, a trade-law analysis by David Gantz put US server imports at US$46.9 billion from Mexico and US$53.5 billion from Taiwan ³. AFP reported that Mexico's computer exports to the US topped US$50 billion from January to April 2026 ⁴.

Chart

The largest computer and server lines Mexico ships to the US

US$ billion and share of the 4-digit total, 2025, as reported by Mexico. Source: UN Comtrade.

03Who builds the machines, and where?

Production is concentrated in two states. Banco Base found that Chihuahua made 46% of computer equipment exports in 2025 and Jalisco 23%, followed by Baja California at 13%, Tamaulipas at 7% and Nuevo León at 5% ⁶. INEGI data for the first quarter of 2026 show Chihuahua and Jalisco together made nearly 80% of exports in the wider computing, communication and electronics branch ⁷.

The builders are mostly Asian and US contract manufacturers. Plants in the two states include Foxconn, Jabil, Flex, Pegatron, Inventec, Wistron, Wiwynn and Sanmina. End customers named in the supply chain are Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta ⁷. Foxconn's project in Jalisco, of about US$900 million, expands its El Salto site to assemble Nvidia GB200 servers ⁸.

Mexico adds little of the value. Banco Base estimates that imported components make up almost 95% of the value of these exports ². Gantz puts local content at about 3% to 7% for AI servers ³. Parts such as boards have their own brief: computer parts.

04How do the machines get from the plant to the buyer?

Finished racks travel by truck from Ciudad Juárez and Guadalajara to the border ⁵. Banco Base found that 67% of related exports go to Texas, followed by Georgia, North Carolina and California ⁶. Our guide to border crossings covers each port.

Inputs usually reach the plant under Mexico's IMMEX program, which lets export manufacturers import parts temporarily without paying import duties, as general practice. The sale contract sets who pays for each leg and who clears customs, usually through an Incoterms rule. The Incoterms guide explains each one.

1. Chips and boardsChips, boards and other parts arrive, mostly from Asia, at plants in Chihuahua and Jalisco.
2. Assembly and testA contract manufacturer builds and tests the servers or computers for a brand or a cloud customer.
3. PaperworkThe maker issues a commercial invoice and, where it applies, a USMCA certification of origin. A customs broker files the export declaration.
4. Truck to TexasRacks travel north by truck. Texas receives about two thirds of related exports.
5. Data centerThe machines reach a US data center or distributor. The invoice is now due on the agreed terms.

Most finished racks travel north by truck. Banco Base found that 67% of related exports go to Texas.

05Which rules and tariffs apply?

Two questions decide what a server pays when it enters the US. First, does it contain chips on the Section 232 semiconductor list? Second, does it qualify under USMCA?

The US Section 232 tariff on semiconductors has applied since January 15, 2026. It sets 25% on a narrow list of advanced chips and the goods that contain them, entered under 8471.50, 8471.80 or 8473.30, when the chips fall within set performance bands. Exemptions include chips for US data centers, research, repairs and consumer uses ^10,11. How the tariff treats a Mexican-made server with covered chips has not been confirmed from the Federal Register text.

Under USMCA, most goods outside the auto sector qualify through a change in tariff classification. For servers, non-originating inputs from 8471.30, 8471.41 or 8471.49 disqualify the machine. Other imported inputs, including chips from Asia, can still allow a server to qualify ⁵. Gantz notes that AI servers have no specific regional value content requirement ³. Our guide to USMCA rules of origin explains the certificate.

The 10% Section 301 tariff on Mexican goods, in force since July 24, 2026, does not apply to goods entered with a USMCA claim or to goods under Section 232 ¹⁴. In a report of April 14, 2026, Banco Base put the average US tariff on Mexican electronics at 0.45%, against 10.53% for China. The rules have changed since ⁶. All rates here are as of October 23, 2026.

Rules in force

As of October 23, 2026. Live list: corridor watch.

Measure	What it does	Since	Status
US Section 232, semiconductors	25% on a narrow list of advanced chips and goods containing them under 8471.50, 8471.80 or 8473.30. Exemptions include US data-center use 10,11	Jan 15, 2026	In force
Section 232 semiconductors, Mexican-made servers	Treatment of USMCA-origin servers that contain covered chips. Confirm in the Federal Register 10	Jan 15, 2026	To be confirmed
USMCA rules of origin, servers	Change in tariff classification. Non-originating inputs from 8471.30, 8471.41 or 8471.49 disqualify 5	Jul 1, 2020	In force
US Section 301, forced labor	10% on Mexican goods. Exempt with a USMCA claim; goods under Section 232 excluded 14	Jul 24, 2026	In force
US IEEPA tariffs	Collection ended after the Supreme Court ruling of February 20, 2026. The former 25% on non-USMCA Mexican goods no longer applies 13	Feb 24, 2026	Ended
Section 232, possible second phase	Would treat servers and network equipment as derivative products. No proclamation found 12	Not set	Pending

06Where do assemblers need cash, and how is it financed?

A server assembler buys chips, boards and power units in bulk, often months before its customer pays. Because imported parts are almost 95% of export value ², the cash tied up in each rack is high. Buyers are few and large, so one customer can carry much of a plant's credit risk.

Most of this trade runs on open account terms, where the buyer pays after delivery. Atradius reports that about 30% of business-to-business sales in Mexico are made on credit, and that sellers give industrial buyers longer terms ¹⁶. Our guides to factoring in Mexico and financing a new plant's supply chain go further.

For buyers in Mexico, the US Commercial Service advises US sellers to use a confirmed letter of credit or EXIM export credit insurance to cover buyer risk ¹⁷.

Where the cash goes

From purchase order to payment

1. Order
   Components boughtThe assembler buys chips, boards and power units, often in bulk and in US dollars.
2. Production
   Stock and wagesParts sit in the plant while racks are built and tested, and workers are paid.
3. Shipment
   Freight and customsTrucking, the customs broker and any duty are paid at or near the border.
4. Invoice
   Waiting for paymentThe buyer pays on its terms. Industrial buyers in Mexico get longer terms ¹⁶.
5. Payment
   Cash returnsDeductions or disputes can cut or delay the payment. See deductions and chargebacks.

The order of cash needs is typical for an electronics assembler. Actual days depend on each contract.

Stocking componentsInventory finance

Funds chips and boards held in the plant, secured on the stock.

Before shipmentPre-shipment finance

Funds materials and assembly against a confirmed purchase order.

After invoiceReceivables finance

The assembler borrows against or sells its unpaid invoices to large buyers.

Buyer may not payTrade credit insurance

Covers most of an unpaid invoice if a covered buyer fails to pay.

07What should computer and server traders watch next?

USMCA stays in force. On July 1, 2026 the US did not agree to renew it in its current form, so the agreement now goes through annual joint reviews until 2036 unless the three countries confirm an extension ¹⁵. AFP reports that AI hardware is absent from the formal review agenda ⁴. El Financiero names the rules of origin for computers as a risk ⁹. A trade-law summary describes a possible second phase of Section 232 that would cover servers and network equipment. No proclamation had been found as of October 23, 2026 ¹². The live list of measures is on our corridor watch page.

• PendingAny second phase of Section 232 covering servers as derivative products. No proclamation found as of October 23, 2026 ¹².
• PendingOutcome of the Commerce Department update on the data-center chip market, which was due by July 1, 2026 ¹⁰.
• AnnualUSMCA joint reviews, after the US did not agree on July 1, 2026 to renew the agreement in its current form ¹⁵.
• Jul 1, 2036USMCA ends on this date unless the three countries confirm an extension ¹⁵.

Questions traders ask

How much computer and server trade is there between Mexico and the US?

Mexico reported US$78.3 billion of computer and server exports to the US in 2025 and US$2.6 billion of imports from the US, under HS 8471. US data shows US$89.9 billion of imports from Mexico and US$13.7 billion of exports to Mexico.

Do Mexican servers pay US tariffs?

Since January 15, 2026, a 25% Section 232 tariff applies to a narrow list of advanced chips and goods that contain them under 8471.50, 8471.80 or 8473.30, with exemptions that include US data-center use. How it treats Mexican-made servers that qualify under USMCA has not been confirmed. Goods entered with a USMCA claim are exempt from the 10% Section 301 tariff. These rules are as of October 23, 2026.

Where in Mexico are computers and servers made?

Mostly in Chihuahua and Jalisco. Banco Base found that Chihuahua made 46% of computer equipment exports in 2025 and Jalisco 23%, followed by Baja California, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León.

How much of a Mexican server's value is made in Mexico?

Little. Banco Base estimates imported components at almost 95% of export value. A trade-law analysis puts local content at about 3% to 7% for AI servers.

Why do Mexico's and the US figures differ?

Each country records its own customs declarations, with different rules for value, country of origin and timing. For computers and servers, the US figure for imports from Mexico was US$11.7 billion higher than Mexico's export figure in 2025. No source explains the gap for this code.

Read next

• Corridor hubThe Mexico to US corridor: what moves and how it is paid for
• Corridor hubCorridor watch: tariffs and rules in force
• Corridor guideIMMEX: manufacturing in Mexico for export
• Corridor guideUSMCA rules of origin and certificates
• Product briefComputer parts: a fast-growing Mexico-US trade the two sides count differently
• Product briefPhones and network equipment: Mexico's routers and switches head north
• Ossiano Trade Finance GuideHow each trade finance instrument works
• GlossaryTrade finance terms in plain English

Building or buying computers and servers between Mexico and the US? Ossiano Capital works on trade finance in this corridor.

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Sources and notes

1. UN Comtrade, annual trade data 2020 to 2025, HS 8471, Mexico and the US as reporters. Downloaded October 2026; 2025 figures may be revised. https://comtradeplus.un.org/
2. Mexico Business News, Mexico's AI hardware exports overtake vehicle shipments (Banco Base data), June 10, 2026. https://mexicobusiness.news/cloudanddata/news/mexicos-ai-hardware-exports-overtake-vehicle-shipments
3. David Gantz, International Economic Law and Policy Blog, Implications of increasing Mexican exports of AI data servers to the United States, August 19, 2026. https://ielp.worldtradelaw.net/2026/08/implications-of-increasing-mexican-exports-of-ai-data-servers-to-the-united-states/
4. AFP via eNCA, AI boom lifts Mexico tech exports, July 22, 2026. https://www.enca.com/business/ai-boom-lifts-mexico-tech-exports-complicating-trump-trade-goals
5. Atlantic Council, Mexico can turn USMCA pressure into an industrial opportunity, July 23, 2026. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/mexico-can-turn-usmca-pressure-into-an-industrial-opportunity/
6. EMSNow, Banco Base data on Mexican electronics exports, April 14, 2026. https://www.emsnow.com/?p=54055
7. Expansión, Chihuahua y Jalisco concentran exportaciones de tecnología e IA (INEGI data), August 5, 2026. https://expansion.mx/economia/2026/08/05/chihuahua-jalisco-concentran-exportaciones-tecnologia-ia
8. EMSNow, Hon Hai's AI plant to be completed in a year, March 6, 2025. https://www.emsnow.com/?p=45518
9. El Financiero, Dónde se fabrica la inteligencia artificial, July 11, 2026. https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/opinion/enrique-quintana/2026/07/11/donde-se-fabrica-la-inteligencia-artificial/
10. EY Tax News 2026-0209, US Section 232 proclamation imposes 25 percent tariff on certain semiconductors, January 15, 2026. https://taxnews.ey.com/news/2026-0209-us-section-232-proclamation-imposes-25-percent-tariff-on-certain-semiconductors
11. The White House, Adjusting imports of semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and their derivative products into the United States, January 14, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/adjusting-imports-of-semiconductors-semiconductor-manufacturing-equipment-and-their-derivative-products-into-the-united-states/
12. TariffLens, Section 232 semiconductor tariff guide (secondary source), May 27, 2026. https://www.tarifflens.ai/blog/section-232-semiconductor-tariff-july-2026-phase-2-guide
13. Tetakawi, Mexico tariffs 2026: what manufacturers actually need to know, updated October 5, 2026. https://tetakawi.com/blog/mexico-tariffs-2026-what-manufacturers-actually-need-to-know/
14. Congressional Research Service, U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations (IF11175), August 13, 2026. https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-08-13_IF11175_366b72c3fd2f3ebe10b28bf3feddca0088251bbb.html
15. White & Case, USMCA 2026 joint review: United States declines to extend agreement, July 2, 2026. https://www.whitecase.com/insight-alert/usmca-2026-joint-review-united-states-declines-extend-agreement-triggering-annual
16. Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in Mexico, 2026. https://atradius.us/knowledge-and-research/reports/b2b-payment-practices-trends-in-mexico-2026
17. US Commercial Service, Mexico country commercial guide: trade financing. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/mexico-trade-financing

Trade values are US dollars from UN Comtrade at the 4-digit HS level unless a 6-digit line is named. Mexico and the US record the same shipments under different rules for value, country of origin and timing, so their figures differ. Percent changes compare 2025 with 2020. All facts on this page are as of October 23, 2026, the date of publication, and may have changed since. Rules and tariffs are as of October 23, 2026 and change often: check the corridor watch before you act.

About this brief. Prepared for Ossiano Capital. People planned, researched, wrote and checked this brief, using AI tools to help with research and checking. You are welcome to quote or reuse it: please credit Ossiano Capital and link to this page.