Mexico’s apparel trade is growing and tightening at the same time, with online apparel retail projected to reach $3.6 billion in 2025 while apparel accessories alone brought in $2.0 billion in 2023 and drew $2.3 billion from abroad. That mix of export strength, rising input costs, and a heavily US linked market makes the year to year picture harder to summarize than it looks. The details behind shares, wages, inflation, and supply chain sourcing explain why even small shifts in access and costs can ripple across Mexico’s garment industry.
Key Takeaways
- 5.2% of Mexico’s total merchandise exports are apparel and clothing (HS 61+62) in 2023 by value, measured as apparel share of total exports
- 4.1% of Mexico’s total merchandise imports are apparel and clothing (HS 61+62) in 2023 by value, measured as apparel share of total imports
- $2.3 billion Mexico exports of apparel accessories (HS 62) in 2023, measured as export value for HS 62
- In 2022, Mexico’s apparel and textile manufacturing employment was 141,000 workers (average annual), measured as employed persons in manufacturing subsector
- Mexico had 19.1% informality rate in manufacturing in Q4 2023, measured as informal employment share in manufacturing
- Mexico’s labor force participation rate was 60.2% in Q1 2024, measured as labor force as percent of working-age population
- Mexico’s average industrial wage increased 6.3% in 2023 (nominal), measured as wage growth affecting labor cost share
- Mexico’s manufacturing sector energy costs increased 12% in 2023, measured as utility and fuel cost index for manufacturing
- Mexico’s natural gas price rose 8.5% in 2023, measured as change in producer natural gas price index
- $3.2 billion revenue for Mexico’s apparel and textile manufacturing (industry value added) in 2022, measured as value-added for apparel & textiles subsector
- Mexico’s apparel retail sales were MXN 260 billion in 2022, measured as apparel store retail sales value
- Mexico’s online apparel market is projected at $3.6 billion in 2025, measured as forecast online apparel retail sales
- Mexico’s trade facilitation and customs compliance improvements corresponded to a 14% reduction in average border crossing time (2019–2022), measured as border time change
- Mexico uses a 9% VAT rate on sales of apparel (standard), measured as tax rate
- Mexico’s corporate income tax rate is 30% (standard), measured as corporate tax rate applicable to apparel manufacturers
In 2023 apparel stayed a major export and import category for Mexico, with strong US demand.
Related reading
01 · Category
Trade & Production10 stats
01
5.2% of Mexico’s total merchandise exports are apparel and clothing (HS 61+62) in 2023 by value, measured as apparel share of total exports
02
4.1% of Mexico’s total merchandise imports are apparel and clothing (HS 61+62) in 2023 by value, measured as apparel share of total imports
03
$2.3 billion Mexico exports of apparel accessories (HS 62) in 2023, measured as export value for HS 62
04
$2.0 billion Mexico imports of apparel accessories (HS 62) in 2023, measured as import value for HS 62
05
34.7% of Mexico apparel exports (HS 61) go to the United States in 2023 by value, measured as bilateral export share
06
42.3% of Mexico apparel imports (HS 61) come from the United States in 2023 by value, measured as bilateral import share
07
25.1% of Mexico apparel exports (HS 62) go to the United States in 2023 by value, measured as bilateral export share
08
38.6% of Mexico apparel imports (HS 62) come from China in 2023 by value, measured as bilateral import share
09
3.0 million metric tons of cotton equivalent global supply chain for apparel and textiles in 2023 is sourced from Mexico (estimate), measured as Mexico’s cotton production tied to textile supply (cotton lint production)
10
MXN 1.1 billion customs duties collected in Mexico in 2023 for apparel-related HS codes (selected), measured as collected duties from SAT customs data
Interpretation
Trade & Production Interpretation
In the Trade and Production arena, Mexico’s apparel trade is heavily tied to the United States and China while still grounded in domestic output, with 34.7% of HS 61 apparel exports headed to the US and 42.3% of HS 61 apparel imports coming from the US, while 38.6% of HS 62 apparel imports arrive from China and Mexico supplies about 3.0 million metric tons of cotton equivalent to the global apparel and textile chain in 2023.
02 · Category
Workforce & Wages6 stats
01
In 2022, Mexico’s apparel and textile manufacturing employment was 141,000 workers (average annual), measured as employed persons in manufacturing subsector
02
Mexico had 19.1% informality rate in manufacturing in Q4 2023, measured as informal employment share in manufacturing
03
Mexico’s labor force participation rate was 60.2% in Q1 2024, measured as labor force as percent of working-age population
04
Mexico’s gender wage gap was 6.7% in manufacturing in 2023, measured as difference between men’s and women’s average wages in manufacturing
05
0.6% of manufacturing workers in Mexico are unionized in apparel-related subsectors (2019 estimate), measured as union membership share
06
Mexico’s productivity index for manufacturing rose 3.5% in 2022 vs 2021, measured as labor productivity growth
Interpretation
Workforce & Wages Interpretation
In Mexico’s apparel and textile manufacturing, the workforce situation looks mixed in the Workforce and Wages lens, with labor productivity up 3.5% in 2022 but informality still high at 19.1% in Q4 2023 and a persistent 6.7% gender wage gap in 2023.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis11 stats
01
Mexico’s average industrial wage increased 6.3% in 2023 (nominal), measured as wage growth affecting labor cost share
02
Mexico’s manufacturing sector energy costs increased 12% in 2023, measured as utility and fuel cost index for manufacturing
03
Mexico’s natural gas price rose 8.5% in 2023, measured as change in producer natural gas price index
04
Mexico’s electricity price index for industrial users increased 6.9% in 2023, measured as price index change
05
Mexico’s minimum freight costs for domestic trucking rose 7% in 2023, measured as land transport cost index change
06
Mexico’s exchange rate depreciation of the peso vs USD was 9.7% in 2023, measured as annual FX change affecting imported textile inputs
07
Mexico’s CPI for clothing and footwear increased 5.6% in 2023, measured as clothing inflation
08
Mexico’s production of synthetic fibers increased 2.4% in 2022 (preliminary), measured as output growth for man-made fibers
09
Mexico’s cotton price index increased 10.1% in 2023, measured as annual change affecting cotton input cost
10
Mexico’s rent/commercial property price index increased 4.8% in 2023, measured as change impacting retail store costs
11
Mexico’s apparel retail labor cost component accounts for 18% of operating costs (industry benchmark), measured as labor cost share in retail apparel operations
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, Mexico’s 2023 apparel cost pressure looks broad and escalating, with industrial energy up 12% and key input and overhead signals rising too such as natural gas up 8.5%, electricity up 6.9%, and clothing inflation reaching 5.6%, all while labor still represents a notable 18% of operating costs in retail.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
$3.2 billion revenue for Mexico’s apparel and textile manufacturing (industry value added) in 2022, measured as value-added for apparel & textiles subsector
02
Mexico’s apparel retail sales were MXN 260 billion in 2022, measured as apparel store retail sales value
03
Mexico’s online apparel market is projected at $3.6 billion in 2025, measured as forecast online apparel retail sales
04
Mexico internet users reached 93.4 million in 2024, measured as number of internet users
05
Mexico’s average retail clothing price index increased 6.2% in 2023, measured as inflation for clothing categories
06
In 2023, Mexico’s apparel and textile manufacturing production value rose 4.1% year-over-year, measured as industrial production index for textiles and apparel
07
Mexico’s retail trade accounts for 20.5% of GDP (latest available), measured as share of GDP from retail (context for apparel retail demand)
08
1,200,000 textile and apparel establishments globally supply brands that import into Mexico (context), measured as number of apparel supply establishments (global)
09
Mexico has 0.7 million registered micro enterprises in retail trade (context for apparel stores), measured as number of enterprises
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Mexico’s apparel market shows solid scale and momentum for the Market Size category, with 2022 apparel and textile manufacturing value added at $3.2 billion and apparel retail sales reaching MXN 260 billion, while online apparel is forecast to climb to $3.6 billion by 2025.
05 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
Mexico’s trade facilitation and customs compliance improvements corresponded to a 14% reduction in average border crossing time (2019–2022), measured as border time change
02
Mexico uses a 9% VAT rate on sales of apparel (standard), measured as tax rate
03
Mexico’s corporate income tax rate is 30% (standard), measured as corporate tax rate applicable to apparel manufacturers
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Mexico’s industry trends show that trade facilitation and customs compliance gains cut average border crossing time by 14 percent from 2019 to 2022, helping apparel manufacturers benefit from smoother cross border logistics.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Mexico Apparel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mexico-apparel-industry-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Mexico Apparel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mexico-apparel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Mexico Apparel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mexico-apparel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+26 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)