ATLANTA — Mexico’s top diplomat to the Southeast says that a trade war with the United States would affect Georgia’s businesses.

In 2024, total trade between the U.S. and Mexico was nearly $840 billion.

“Georgia is also a crucial part in this relationship,” Consul General Javier Díaz de León said in an interview with WSB. “Mexico is the second [largest] trade partner of Georgia in the world. Mexico is the second [largest] buyer of Georgia goods in the world. Only Canada buys more goods from Georgia than Mexico.”

Federal data shows that last year, Georgia exported $6.4 billion worth of goods to Mexico and more than $7 billion worth of goods to Canada.

Díaz de León says any potential trade war would hit Georgia’s car and aerospace industries hard. “Tens of thousands of jobs in crucial industries would probably be impacted,” he explained.

Barring another pause, 25% tariffs on most goods will go into effect on April 2.

Díaz de León maintains his desire for the two countries to come to an agreement that avoids a trade war. “It’s important to understand that Mexico and Canada are not adversaries of the United States. We are your neighbors, and we’re also your closest allies and partners.”