Mexico's Heavy Truck Industry Plummets 30.4%

The heavy truck industry in Mexico plummeted by 30.4% in the first quarter of the year, impacting production, sales, and exports. «Part of the negative trend we have reported on is related to the entry of used vehicles from the United States under unfair conditions. There is an evident tax undervaluation in the procedures for the final import of heavy vehicles, and with this, there is a presence with prices, let me express it in some way, outside the market,» commented Guillermo Rosales Zárate, executive president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA). According to the Administrative Registry of the Heavy Vehicle Automotive Industry (RAIAVP), prepared by INEGI, between January and March 2026, production reached 28,765 units, which meant a 30.4% annual drop. «When we look at the cumulative results from January to March, we have a significant contraction in the cargo segment of 30.6%, but also in the passenger vehicle segment, we have a drop of 20.9%, for a total of 30.4% in the three months of 2026 that have passed,» commented Rogelio Arzate, executive president of the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor Producers (ANPACT). During the first quarter of the year, 23,550 units were sent abroad for export, a 30.3% annual decrease, which also represented the industry's worst performance on record, especially in the passenger vehicle segment. «Moving a bit to the export part (...) the cumulative total from January to March shows a current contraction in these three months of 30.3% in the cargo segment, while in the passenger segment the drop is 100%; only in 2025 were there 15 passenger units, for a total contraction of 30.3%,» added Arzate. Sales of heavy vehicles also fell. In the domestic market, during the first quarter, retail sales decreased by 34.9% annually, totaling 7,277 units, while wholesale sales fell by 18.08%, with 6,496 units. However, in March, a moderation in the negative trend was observed, as sales were mixed, with 2,901 units sold at retail, an 18.56% annual decrease, while 2,984 units were sold at wholesale, with a positive annual variation of 6.72%. «When we look at wholesale sales of heavy vehicles and we talk specifically about March, we have good news. We have a 6.7% increase in wholesale sales of these vehicles. The advance deduction and access to credit are seen as key elements to boost sales and production. Additionally, the program includes measures to limit the entry of used vehicles from the United States under unequal conditions, which has distorted the local market and pressured the prices of semi-new units. «Even this very high distortion in the market for used vehicles entering our country is being corrected, which has created a serious problem of saturation for distributor companies with high inventories of semi-new trucks, trucks between 5 or 7 years old that cannot be sold (...) this will be significantly corrected, and we trust that this will help the national industry,» concluded Rosales Zárate. Separating a bit cargo from passenger, in the cargo segment, it increased by 12.6%, while in the passenger segment, it had a contraction of 17.9%,» detailed the executive president of ANPACT. They trust in Sheinbaum's program to reactivate the market Guillermo Rosales Zárate, executive president of AMDA, trusted that the «Program for the Protection of the Heavy Vehicle Industry,» promoted by the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, is a way to reverse the negative trend dragging the sector, marked by drops in production, sales, and exports since 2025. «We trust that everything that has been announced by the federal government will be an important element to reverse the negative trend,» stated Rosales Zárate. The scheme not only contemplates fiscal stimuli but also financing facilities, which could accelerate the recovery of the domestic market and reactivate demand for units.