Monitors and TVs: a smaller Mexico-US trade than in 2020, led by Tijuana

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Mexico Trade Corridor · Product brief · HS 8528

Mexico is a large supplier of TV sets to the United States, but the value of the trade in 2025 was below its 2020 level. 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 · 9 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.

#8

Mexico's No. 8 export to the US in 2025, ranked by value as reported by Mexico (UN Comtrade, 4-digit HS codes). The US figure is shown beside it because the two countries count the same trade differently.

US$10.3bnMexico's exports to the US, 2025, as reported by Mexico

US$9.8bnThe same flow, 2025, as reported by the US

-10.1%Change 2020 to 2025, Mexico data

US$0.4bnMexico's imports from the US in the same code, 2025, Mexico data

What is it?

HS 8528 covers monitors, projectors and television sets. TV sets with color screens make up 90.4% of the value Mexico ships to the US. Mexico reported US$10.3 billion of these exports to the US in 2025 ¹.

Why does it matter?

Monitors and TVs are Mexico's eighth-largest export to the US. The value of the trade peaked in 2021 and was 10.1% lower in 2025 than in 2020, on Mexico's data ¹. Plants in Tijuana and Reynosa make sets for the US market ^2,6.

How does it work?

Assemblers buy screens and electronics, build and test sets in Mexico, and truck them to US distribution centers. Sets that meet USMCA rules of origin enter the US duty-free as of October 23, 2026 ^8,9.

In this brief

1. How big is the TV and monitor trade between Mexico and the US?
2. Which products cross the border, and why did the value fall?
3. Who makes the sets, and where?
4. How do the sets 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 TV and monitor traders watch next?

01How big is the TV and monitor trade between Mexico and the US?

Mexico reported US$10.3 billion of monitor and TV exports to the US in 2025. That is down 10.1% from US$11.5 billion in 2020, and down 1.0% from 2024 ¹. The trade peaked at US$13.7 billion in 2021. The 2025 value is 24.7% below that peak ¹. Monitors and TVs were 1.9% of Mexico's US$545.4 billion of reported exports to the US ¹.

US data shows the same pattern. The US reported US$9.8 billion of imports from Mexico in 2025, 6.4% less than in 2020 and 26.1% less than at the 2021 peak of US$13.3 billion ¹. Our data gap explainer sets out why the two sides differ.

Trade running south is small and falling. Mexico reported US$0.4 billion of imports from the US in 2025, down 34.6% since 2020 ¹.

Chart

Monitors and TVs 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 products cross the border, and why did the value fall?

TV sets dominate. The 6-digit line for TV sets with a color screen was US$9.3 billion in 2025, or 90.4% of the total, as reported by Mexico ¹. Other monitors follow at US$0.8 billion, or 7.3% ¹.

US data counts units as well as value. US imports from Mexico fell from 37.7 million units in 2021 to 31.8 million in 2025, a drop of 15.6%. The average value per unit fell 12.5% over the same years, from US$353 to US$309 ¹. Fewer units and a lower value per unit together explain the fall in value since 2021. The units cover all goods in HS 8528, so the average mixes TVs and monitors.

The trade data shows what changed. It does not show why. We found no source that links the fall to a move of production out of Mexico.

Chart

The largest TV and monitor lines Mexico ships to the US

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

03Who makes the sets, and where?

Baja California, and Tijuana in particular, has long been the center of TV assembly in Mexico. In 2013, El Financiero counted more than 12 TV plants in the Tijuana cluster ⁴. Today's plant list and employment have not been confirmed by a recent independent source.

Samsung has made TVs in Tijuana since the late 1980s ⁵. Nikkei reported in May 2025 that most of the TVs Samsung sells in the US are made in Mexico ⁷. Hisense makes TVs at a plant in Tijuana and denied reports in March 2025 that it would close its Mexican operations. Hisense was the second-largest TV maker in the world by shipments in 2023, with 25.9 million units ².

LG makes TVs in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, across the border from Texas. In March 2025 it said it had moved monitor and display production to Reynosa from Mexicali ⁶.

Plants that import screens and components for export assembly commonly use Mexico's IMMEX program. A Hisense plant director said in 2019 that IMMEX import and export steps add transport cost when a plant sells sets inside Mexico ³.

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

Sets travel north by truck. Samsung's Tijuana plant is about 20 miles from San Diego, according to Tijuana EDC ⁵. LG's Reynosa plant ships to Texas ⁶. Our guide to border crossings covers each port.

Buyers are US retailers, brands and distributors. The sale contract sets who pays for each leg and who clears customs, usually through an Incoterms rule such as FCA. The Incoterms guide explains each one.

1. Screens and partsScreens and electronics arrive from suppliers, often in Asia, and enter Mexico for assembly.
2. Plant in MexicoA plant in Tijuana or Reynosa assembles, tests and packs the sets.
3. PaperworkThe plant issues a commercial invoice and a USMCA certification of origin. A customs broker files the Mexican export declaration.
4. Truck to the USSets travel by truck to California or Texas. The US importer claims USMCA treatment.
5. RetailerThe sets reach a retailer's distribution center. The invoice is now due on the agreed terms.

Sets made in Reynosa and Tijuana travel north by truck. US data shows 31.8 million units imported from Mexico under HS 8528 in 2025.

05Which rules and tariffs apply?

The key question is whether a set meets the USMCA rules of origin. Sets that qualify enter the US duty-free ^8,9. Our guide to USMCA rules of origin explains the certificate.

Several US measures have come and gone in 2026. IEEPA tariff collection ended on February 24, 2026, after a Supreme Court ruling. A temporary 10% Section 122 surcharge ran from February 24 to July 24, 2026 and has expired ^8,10.

The 10% Section 301 tariff on Mexican goods, in force since July 24, 2026, does not apply to goods entered with a USMCA claim ⁹. The January 2026 Section 232 action on semiconductors targets advanced chips. No source ties it to TV sets ¹¹.

Mexico raised its own import tariffs from January 1, 2026, on 1,463 tariff lines from countries without a trade agreement with Mexico, at rates of 5% to 50% ¹². Whether TV lines or TV inputs are on the list must be checked. All rates here are as of October 23, 2026. Our guide to US tariffs on Mexican goods sets out each measure.

Rules in force

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

Measure	What it does	Since	Status
USMCA rules of origin	Qualifying TV sets enter the US duty-free 8,9	Jul 1, 2020	In force
IEEPA tariffs	Collection ended after the Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026 8,10	Feb 24, 2026	Ended
US Section 122 surcharge	Temporary 10% global surcharge, February 24 to July 24, 2026 8	Feb 24, 2026	Expired
US Section 301, forced labor	10% on Mexican goods. Exempt with a USMCA claim; goods under Section 232 excluded 9	Jul 24, 2026	In force
US Section 232, semiconductors	25% on a narrow list of advanced chips. No source ties it to TV sets 11	Jan 15, 2026	In force
Mexico tariffs on non-treaty imports	5% to 50% on 1,463 lines from countries without a trade agreement. TV lines not yet checked 12	Jan 1, 2026	Check tariff line

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

An assembler buys screens and electronics, often from Asian suppliers, long before a US retailer pays for the finished set ^2,6. Large retailers buy on credit terms, so the assembler carries stock and unpaid invoices at the same time.

Atradius reports that about 30% of business-to-business sales in Mexico are made on credit, and that about one fifth of invoices are overdue ¹³. Most corridor trade runs on open account terms. Our guide to factoring in Mexico goes further.

For sales to buyers inside Mexico, the US Commercial Service advises exporters to use confirmed letters of credit or EXIM credit insurance ¹⁴.

Where the cash goes

From screen order to retailer payment

1. Before production
   Screens and componentsThe assembler orders screens and electronics, often paying before they ship.
2. Production
   Assembly and stockWorkers are paid and parts sit in stock. Imported inputs can enter under IMMEX.
3. Shipment
   Freight and customsTrucking and the customs broker are paid at or near the border.
4. Invoice
   Waiting for the retailerThe retailer pays on its credit terms.
5. Payment
   Cash returnsDeductions or returns 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.

Screens in stockInventory finance

Funds screens, parts and finished sets held before sale.

After invoice, large retailerPayables finance

The retailer approves the invoice and a finance provider pays the assembler early.

After invoice, any buyerFactoring or invoice discounting

The seller sells or borrows against its unpaid invoices.

Buyer may not payTrade credit insurance

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

07What should TV and monitor 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 ¹⁰. A US Section 301 investigation into excess capacity is also open ⁹. The live list of measures is on our corridor watch page.

• PendingWhether TV lines or TV inputs are on Mexico's January 2026 list of higher tariffs for non-treaty countries ¹².
• OpenUS Section 301 investigation into excess capacity, open as of August 13, 2026 ⁹.
• AnnualUSMCA joint reviews, which began after the US declined to renew the agreement on July 1, 2026 ¹⁰.
• Jul 1, 2036USMCA ends on this date unless the three countries confirm an extension ¹⁰.

Questions traders ask

How much TV and monitor trade is there between Mexico and the US?

Mexico reported US$10.3 billion of exports to the US in 2025 under HS 8528, and US$0.4 billion of imports from the US. US data shows US$9.8 billion of imports from Mexico. TV sets with color screens are 90.4% of Mexico's export value.

Is the TV trade growing or shrinking?

Shrinking in value. Mexico's exports to the US were 10.1% lower in 2025 than in 2020 and 24.7% below the 2021 peak. US data shows both fewer units and a lower average value per unit since 2021.

Where in Mexico are TVs made?

Mainly in Tijuana, Baja California, where Samsung and Hisense have plants, and in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, where LG makes TVs and monitors.

Do TVs made in Mexico pay US tariffs?

Sets that meet USMCA rules of origin enter the US duty-free and are exempt from the 10% Section 301 tariff on Mexican goods when entered with a USMCA claim. These rules are as of October 23, 2026.

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 monitors and TVs, Mexico's 2025 export figure is US$0.5 billion higher than the US import figure.

Read next

• Corridor hubThe Mexico to US corridor: what moves and how it is paid for
• Corridor hubHow goods cross: border crossings, rail lines and ports
• Corridor hubCorridor watch: tariffs and rules in force
• Corridor guideIMMEX: manufacturing in Mexico for export
• Corridor guideUSMCA rules of origin and certificates
• Product briefComputers and servers: Mexico's largest export to the US, led by AI racks
• Ossiano Trade Finance GuideHow each trade finance instrument works
• GlossaryTrade finance terms in plain English

Trading TVs and monitors 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 8528, Mexico and the US as reporters. Downloaded October 2026; 2025 figures may be revised. https://comtradeplus.un.org/
2. Expansión, Hisense is not leaving Mexico because of tariffs, March 6, 2025. https://expansion.mx/tecnologia/2025/03/06/hisense-no-se-va-mexico-por-aranceles
3. DPL News (El Economista), Warning that TV factories could close, April 1, 2019. https://dplnews.com/?p=5990
4. El Financiero, Tijuana makes 99% of digital TVs, January 13, 2013. https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas/tijuana-fabrica-99-de-las-tv-digitales/
5. Tijuana EDC, Samsung in Tijuana: a manufacturing success story, 2025. https://tijuanaedc.org/samsung-in-tijuana-a-manufacturing-success-story/
6. Expansión, Mexico, a key piece in LG's global strategy, March 12, 2025. https://expansion.mx/tecnologia/2025/03/12/mexico-pieza-clave-estrategia-global-de-lg
7. CE Pro, Samsung considering relocating TV production due to tariffs, May 2, 2025. https://www.cepro.com/news/samsung-considering-relocating-tv-production-due-to-tariffs
8. 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/
9. Congressional Research Service, U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations (IF11175), August 13, 2026. https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-08-13_IF11175_366b72c3fd2f3ebe10b28bf3feddca0088251bbb.html
10. 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
11. The White House, Adjusting imports of semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and their derivative products, 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. Cluster Industrial, Mexico activates tariffs on imports from Asia, December 2025. https://clusterindustrial.com.mx/mexico-activa-aranceles-a-importaciones-de-asia-y-redefine-su-politica-comercial-en-2026/
13. Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in Mexico, 2026. https://atradius.us/knowledge-and-research/reports/b2b-payment-practices-trends-in-mexico-2026
14. 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.