Mexico‘s automotive exports fell 20.5% year-on-year in January, to 8,250.3 million dollars, Inegi reported this Friday.

Mexico is the world’s sixth largest manufacturer of passenger vehicles, the largest automotive supplier in the United States and the world’s leading exporter of tractor-trailers.

In 2021, Mexico’s automotive exports were 139,841 million dollars, a growth of 13.8% year-on-year, but a decrease of 5.4% over 2019.

Since 2014, Mexican automotive exports exceeded the level of 100,000 million dollars.

In particular, with volume measurements, General Motors exported 49,611 units from Mexico in January 2022, an advance of 1.4% compared to the same month in 2021.

Next came Nissan, with 33,200 units and a growth of 31.4%, and Stellantis, with 33,039 units and an increase of 18.3%, at annual rates.

Automotive exports

Measured in value, Mexico’s foreign sales in the automotive industry last January derived from setbacks of 18.5% in sales channeled to the United States and 31.1% in those directed to other markets.

US industry sales, including medium and heavy-duty vehicles, were 17.5 million units in 2019 and fell to 14.9 million units in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, then rose to 15.3 million units in 2021 .

The strong recovery of the automotive sector in 2021 was supported by the general economic rebound after the pandemic and the size of the recovery was negatively affected by unfilled semiconductor orders.

Likewise, 89% of the vehicles produced in Mexico are exported, with 80% destined for the United States.

Established automakers in Mexico include Audi, Baic Group, BMW, Stellantis (made up of FCA and PSA Group), Ford, General Motors, Honda, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Globally, Mexico is the sixth largest producer of heavy-duty cargo vehicles, with 14 manufacturers and assemblers of buses, trucks, tractor-trailers and engines through 11 manufacturing plants, supporting 18,500 jobs nationwide.

Mexico is also the fourth-largest exporter of heavy-duty vehicles for cargo, and the second-largest export market after Canada, for U.S. medium and heavy-duty trucks. Top players include Cummins, Detroit Diesel Allison, Freightliner–Daimler, Kenworth Mexicana, Mack Trucks de México, International-Navistar, Dina Camiones, Scania, Volvo Group VW, Man Truck & Bus, Mercedes-Benz, Hino Motors, and Isuzu Motors.