La Jornada: Exports and production of heavy vehicles rebounded in July

The export and production of heavy vehicles in Mexico grew by more than 50 percent annually in July 2026, figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) showed.

Last month, the 13 companies that make up the Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Heavy Vehicles (Raiavp) exported 13,117 units, which represented an annual increase of 66.73 percent.

For the first seven months of 2026, 71,377 units were sold abroad, which implied a contraction of 6.1 percent compared to the same period in 2025. In addition, it was its lowest figure for a similar period since 2020.

The United States was the main destination for heavy vehicle exports, with 92.4 percent of the total.

During July, 14,675 heavy units were produced, 51.79 percent more compared to the same month last year.

According to the Raiavp, 85,551 vehicles were assembled throughout the year, 6.12 percent less compared to January-July 2025, and it was the lowest production for the first seven months since 2020.

Freight vehicles represented 97.5 percent of the total units produced from January to July 2026, while the rest corresponded to passenger buses.

In July 2026, in the national market, the 13 companies that make up this registry reported a drop of 334 units in retail sales, compared to the same month of the previous year. In the wholesale market, the increase was 415 units, in the same reference month.

Recovery in the US boosts sales abroad

The sign of recovery in the US market was the main factor that drove the 66.7 percent increase in heavy vehicle exports, representatives of this industry said.

In a conference, Alejandro Osorio, director of public affairs of the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers, explained that demand from the United States is beginning to show greater dynamism, which makes that country an engine for Mexican exports in this sector.

He noted that the export dynamics in July reflect that national production is advancing, with more than 14,600 units manufactured, more than 50 percent above the previous year, positively impacting the supply chain and employment.

He pointed out that after more than a year and a half of delay in the renewal of fleets of medium and large companies, the replacement has begun to activate, even with the uncertainty derived from the renegotiation of the T-MEC and the tariff volatility that marked 2025.

This reactivation, he said, has been accompanied by government programs such as accelerated deduction for the acquisition of heavy vehicles and the modernization program for cargo and passenger transportation.