Mexico stood out among the top five sources of washing machine exports to the United States in 2022, with the highest year-on-year growth rate.
Topping them all, South Korea sold washing machines to that market for $404 million last year, followed by China ($367 million), Mexico ($366 million), Thailand ($191 million) and Vietnam ($98 million).
But among them, Mexico achieved a growth of 24%, at an annual rate, while the results of the other four Asian countries were negative: South Korea (-17.6%), China (-16.7%), Thailand (-39.7%) and Vietnam (-23.5 percent).
Mexico’s exporters include Controladora Mabe (Mabe), Electrolux Home Products de México (Electrolux México); Samsung Electronics Digital Appliances México (Samsung México) and Whirlpool Overseas Manufacturing Sarl (Whirlpool México).
Exports of washing machines
Other relevant origins of sales of these products to the United States were, in descending order, four European nations: Germany (US$60 million), Sweden (US$46 million), Spain (US$22 million), Poland (US$13 million) and the Czech Republic (US$13 million), according to data from the Department of Commerce.
In particular, Whirlpool filed petitions in 2011 and 2015 alleging that Samsung, LG and Electrolux violated U.S. and international trade laws by dumping large residential washing machines in the United States.
Those petitions resulted in orders imposing antidumping duties on certain large residential washing machines imported from South Korea, Mexico and China, and countervailing duties on certain large residential washing machines from South Korea.
In March 2019, the order covering certain large residential washing machines from Mexico was extended for an additional five years, while the order covering certain large residential washing machines from South Korea was revoked.
Then, in August 2022, the order covering certain large residential washing machines in China was extended for an additional five years.
The order is subject to administrative reviews, possible appeals and other potential modifications.
Whirlpool also filed a safeguard petition in May 2017 to address our concerns that Samsung and LG were evading U.S. trade laws by shifting production from countries covered by antidumping orders.
A safeguard remedy went into effect in February 2018, implementing tariffs on finished large residential washing machines and certain covered parts for three years.
The remedy expired according to its terms and as scheduled in February 2023.
