the US has totalization agreements with 20 countries now and in 2004, $2.5 billion in social security was paid to foreign countries.
Do you have a little link to that??? Grmmmbling........^$$*&^_(_*&*^&$^%%@&(*
I was afraid you would ask for this site. I had to search again and strangely it wasn't under Mexico but under totalization with India (still haven't found it).
It is a very long read and to be quite honest, I didn't read all of it. But what I did read was interesting as the SSA is being put to the test in how to verify Mexicans births, deaths and fraud in Mexico. The Mexican totalization agreement will no doubt bust SS. They get preferential treatment (grand bargain) in that they only have to work 18 months to qualify while an American has to work 10 years to qualify. The other 20 foreign countries have to work 6 years. Can you say (grand bargain)?
http://www.gao.gov/htext/d05250.html
Go about half way down the page with your sidebar and look for footnote 6 at the end of a paragraph. That paragraph will have the info you are looking for. My mistake as it was 2.4 billion.