Texas exports, boosted by oil, rise 3 times faster than US increase

Mexico, which bought $17.4 billion worth of products from Texas during January and February, remains the leading export sales destination followed by Canada.

Texas’ agriculture exports to Mexico were up 9% in the first two months of 2019, but there was weakness from sales of meat and dairy products. In response to President Donald Trump‘s steel and aluminum import duties, Mexico and Canada last year imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on a variety of U.S. food and agricultural products, including pork and some dairy items.

As for China, Texas saw its total exports to the world’s second-largest economy fall by 52% to $1.6 billion in the first two months of the year, with the agriculture trade portion plunging 85% in value.

Similarly, total U.S. agricultural exports to China were sharply lower in January and February, falling by 48% during the two months, according to WISERTrade. It followed Beijing last year imposing retaliatory tariffs on a variety of U.S. farm-related products, including soybeans, grains, meats, cotton, dairy products, fruit and nuts.

U.S.-China trade talks are scheduled to resume next week in Beijing led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. There were signs of progress in the previous round of bilateral negotiations but hurdles remain, including forced technology transfer and an enforcement mechanism of any final agreement.