Arizona’s imports from Mexico up 25 percent in July compared to 2016

PHOENIX — Arizona’s imports from Mexico were up nearly 25 percent in July, compared to the same time last year, a new report from the University of Arizona found.

Arizona brought in $541 million in imports from Mexico in July of this year, a 24.87 percent increase over the same time last year.

The growth also continues a three-month pattern of an increased amount of imports from Mexico to Arizona. Imports in May and June were also up 11 and 21 percent, respectively, over the same time last year.

The data, which came from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that Mexico is Arizona’s No. 1 trading partner and accounts for about 37 percent of all of Arizona’s imports from foreign markets, the report said.

Other border states, such as California and Texas, have also seen an increase in imports from Mexico in July compared to the year before. New Mexico, however, has seen a decrease of more than 32 percent in Mexican imports in July.

Arizona leaders have tried to increase trade with Mexico under the Trump administration, a lofty goal as the president has made efforts to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall and has floated a tax on imports to pay for it. More than half of Arizonans surveyed in January opposed the measures.

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