Mexico heavy‑truck output plunges
Heavy‑truck production in Mexico fell 30.4% in the first quarter, with declines in production, sales and exports reported by industry coverage. The drop was reported as a notable contraction in the North American equipment pipeline (elfinanciero.com.mx).
Mexico’s heavy-truck factories turned out 28,765 vehicles in the first quarter, down 30.4% from 41,316 a year earlier. (anpact.com.mx) The March figures were weaker than a year earlier across the factory and export pipeline: production fell 6.6% to 12,617 units and exports slipped 5.9% to 10,625. Wholesale sales were the exception, rising 6.7% to 2,984 units in March. (anpact.com.mx) The quarterly decline was not limited to assembly lines. Exports dropped 30.3% to 23,550 units in January through March, wholesale sales fell 18.1% to 6,496, and retail sales fell 34.9% to 7,277. (eleconomista.com.mx) This is a North American trade story as much as a Mexico manufacturing story. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography data showed the United States took 92% of Mexico’s heavy-truck exports in the first quarter. (jornada.com.mx) Most of what Mexico builds in this category is freight equipment, not buses. Cargo vehicles made up 97.6% of first-quarter production, which means swings in truck orders hit the industry faster than changes in passenger transport demand. (jornada.com.mx) Industry executives tied the slump to a difficult market that has stretched from 2025 into 2026. In January, the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers said lower domestic demand, rising imports of used heavy vehicles from the United States, and tariff volatility had delayed fleet buying decisions. (anpact.com.mx) The group is now backing a federal support package announced on April 13. The measures include accelerated tax deductions for vehicle purchases, revived Nacional Financiera and Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Secretariat guarantees for financing, a new safety standard, and updated customs reference values for imported used trucks. (anpact.com.mx) There was one short-term sign of stabilization inside the monthly data. March production and exports were both about 35% higher than in February, even as they remained below March 2025 levels. (tyt.com.mx) For now, the headline number is still the quarterly drop: fewer trucks built, fewer sold at home, and fewer shipped north from one of Mexico’s most export-dependent manufacturing lines. (eleconomista.com.mx)
