Mexico’s auto exports fall for third straight month

Mexico exported 258,952 airy vehicles successful February 2025, a 9.2% alteration compared to the 285,330 units it shipped overseas successful February 2024, amid commercialized tensions betwixt the United States and Mexico that person roiled the car manufacture this year.

In its monthly car manufacture survey, nationalist statistic bureau INEGI noted that though February export figures were an betterment implicit the 219,414 vehicles Mexico exported successful January 2025, the numbers represented a year-on-year diminution for the 3rd consecutive month.

(INEGI)

In December 2024, Mexico’s car exports dropped by 5.8% from a twelvemonth earlier to 265,954 units and January 2025 saw a 13.7% diminution successful conveyance exports with conscionable 219,414 vehicles shipped abroad. 

February’s shrinking numbers mean light-vehicle exports are down 11.4% done the archetypal 2 months of 2025.

The three-month slump follows hard connected the heels of a affirmative twelvemonth for Mexico’s car manufacture which acceptable records for accumulation and exports. 

For a 5th consecutive twelvemonth successful 2024, Mexico expanded its stock of the U.S. import market. Automotive exports to the U.S. had a worth of US $181.4 cardinal past year, and made up 38.5% of the U.S. marketplace for automobiles, up from 37.8% successful 2023.

Shifting commercialized policies deed car sector’s performance, planning

While campaigning up of the U.S. statesmanlike predetermination past year, Donald Trump insisted he’d use broad 20% tariffs connected each imports and, upon winning the ballot successful November, promised steep across-the-board tariff hikes. 

By December, astatine slightest one car institution was reportedly reconsidering its concern strategy successful Mexico.

In January, conveyance exports to the U.S. — Mexico’s superior market, accounting for 83.6% of full vehicles exported that month  — fell 10.8%, with 183,321 vehicles shipped northbound of the border, down from 205,523 successful January 2024.

Upon taking bureau connected Jan. 20, Trump threatened, past paused tariffs connected imports of each Mexican goods, past said he’d spot a levy on each alloy and aluminum imports. Last week, Trump again delayed applying tariffs to Mexican imports, portion besides granting a one-month tariff exemption to automakers importing vehicles from Mexico and Canada.

Tariff concerns punctual Honda to determination Civic accumulation from Mexico to US

The uncertainty has prompted car companies crossed the manufacture to intermission concern and reassess hazard factors, forcing immoderate to analyze the cost-benefit of moving Mexican operations to the U.S.

Positive home numbers somewhat offset shrinking export figures, however.

Light-vehicle income successful Mexico successful February reached 117,679 units, a 2.9% summation implicit February 2024. For the archetypal 2 months of 2025, full home income (237,659 units) are up 4.5%.

With reports from Expansión, El Economista and Time