Texas-Mexico fresh produce trade generated $26B in U.S. economic activity in 2025

MISSION, Texas — Fresh fruits and vegetables imported from Mexico through Texas generated an estimated $26 billion in U.S. economic activity and supported nearly 140,000 U.S. jobs in 2025, according to a Texas A&M University Center for North American Studies study cited in a Thursday news release issued by the Texas International Produce Association. The imported produce had an estimated commercial value of $11.8 billion.

Texas handled more than 13.7 billion pounds of fresh produce imported from Mexico in 2025, accounting for approximately 57% of all fresh fruits and vegetables imported into the United States from Mexico, according to the study. The volume was equivalent to about 40 pounds of fresh produce for every U.S. resident.

The Texas A&M University Center for North American Studies has previously published similar analyses. In its most recent publicly available report, released in 2023, the center estimated Texas handled about 55% of U.S. fresh produce imports from Mexico in 2022 and projected that share would increase to 56.4% by 2030. The new study cited by the association estimates Texas handled 57% in 2025.

According to the center’s 2023 report, the analysis measures economic activity beyond the commercial value of the imported produce itself. The study used the IMPLAN input-output model, an economic modeling system, to estimate how produce imports generate additional business activity, income and jobs after entering the United States, including transportation, warehousing, wholesale distribution, retail sales and other industries supporting the produce supply chain.

Researchers projected the economic impact of produce imported through Texas will increase to $34.4 billion by 2033, supporting 144,611 jobs across Texas and the United States. The study also forecasts Texas will handle approximately 18.6 billion pounds of fresh produce imported from Mexico annually by that year, a 36.2% increase from 2025 volumes, representing an estimated 58.2% of U.S. fresh produce imports from Mexico.

Across the four Southwestern border states, fresh produce imported from Mexico generated $39.5 billion in U.S. economic activity during 2025. That figure is projected to exceed $51.5 billion by 2033 while supporting more than 216,000 jobs, according to the study.

The report said imports from Mexico complement domestic production by helping offset seasonal and weather-related fluctuations in U.S. growing regions, providing retailers with a more consistent year-round supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. It also cited U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing average food-at-home prices increased 2.3% in 2025, while fresh vegetable prices declined 0.4% and fresh fruit prices rose more slowly than many other grocery categories.

The Texas International Produce Association said the findings underscore the role of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in supporting investment in ports of entry, cold-storage facilities, warehouses, transportation networks and distribution infrastructure that facilitate cross-border agricultural trade.

“The USMCA provides the certainty that allows businesses to invest in ports of entry, cold storage, warehouses, transportation networks, and distribution facilities,” Dante Galeazzi, president and chief executive officer of the Texas International Produce Association, said in the release. “When produce moves efficiently across our border, American workers, American businesses, and American consumers all benefit.”

The Texas International Produce Association said the study was conducted by the Texas A&M University Center for North American Studies to evaluate the economic impact of fresh produce imported from Mexico through Texas. The center previously published a related report in 2023 examining the economic contribution of produce imports from Mexico.