Drop in production and exports of heavy vehicles in North America

This month saw a drop in heavy vehicle sales from Mexico to the United States and Canada.

One of Mexico’s main exports to the United States and Canada is the production and assembly of heavy vehicles. Unfortunately, this month saw a 22.1% decrease in sales to the United States, with only 11,422 units exported compared to the 14,665 units from the previous month. Additionally, according to reports from the Mexican newspaper El Economista, there was also a 32.9% decline in exports to Canada.

Despite the decrease in both the United States and Canada in the production and export of heavy vehicles from Mexico, which led to the decline in figures, the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor Manufacturers (ANPACT) remains optimistic about the rest of the year.

During 2023, the automotive industry in Mexico achieved a milestone in the heavy truck sector, with records in production, domestic sales, and exports, assembling 222,813 heavy vehicles, an 11% increase from the previous year, according to figures from industry chambers reported by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).

However, according to the INEGI’s Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry for Heavy Vehicles until January 2024, exports decreased to 11,891 units, representing a 21.9% decline compared to the same period of the previous year.

The communication and government relations director of ANPACT mentioned in a press conference that it is common to observe decreases in production and export during the month of January, due to adjustments at the beginning of a new year. He indicates that positive results are still forecasted for 2024.

On the other hand, regarding retail sales, the president of the Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors (AMDA) emphasized that in January of this year, 4,290 units were sold, representing a 30.95% increase compared to January 2023. Additionally, he highlighted that these figures mark a record in sales and represent a 45.8% increase compared to January 2019.

Class 8 sales also show declines in January

According to Wards Intelligence, retail sales of Class 8 trucks began the year with their sixth consecutive month of declines in January. Sales decreased by 6.7% to 18,594 units compared to the previous year, and dropped by 20.5% compared to December.

Freightliner led with 8,335 trucks sold, while Western Star had the highest year-over-year increase at 58.9%. Kenworth and Peterbilt saw declines of 4.9% and increases of 9.6%, respectively. Mack Trucks fell by 13.4%, while Volvo Trucks North America increased by 1.3%. International trucks from Navistar fell by 23.4% to 1,884 units.