The Mexican heavy vehicle manufacturing industry is a global player. Our country is the leading exporter of tractor-trailer trucks and the fourth-largest exporter of cargo and passenger vehicles , according to the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor-Trailer Manufacturers (ANPACT) .
In 2024, 213,241 heavy vehicles were produced in Mexico , the second-highest figure after 2019. Exports in that cycle reached 159,466 units, and of these, 95.5% were destined for the United States .
Between 2019 and last August, Mexico exported 939,990 trucks and tractor-trailers to the United States. Freightliner accounted for 65% of the total, International for 31%, and Kenworth for four percent.
In this context, the message sent yesterday by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, regarding the imposition of 25% tariffs on trucks exported to this market is bad news for brands that produce in Mexico.
“To protect our great heavy-duty truck manufacturers from unfair foreign competition, beginning October 1, 2025, I will impose a 25% tariff on all heavy-duty trucks manufactured elsewhere in the world. This way, our great truck manufacturers, like Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks, and others, will be protected from the onslaught of external disruptions. We need our truckers to be financially healthy for many reasons, but most of all, for national security reasons!” the message on the social media platform TRUTH reads.
Last April, the Federal Register published the start of a formal investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce under Section 232, a legal instrument that allows for the imposition of trade measures if certain imports are deemed to threaten the country’s national security, Juan Carlos Baker, CEO of Ansley Consultants, explained to T21.
Last June, Baker stated: “If the U.S. Department of Commerce identifies a risk to the national security of the United States due to the importation of transportation vehicles, tractors, and so on—and that investigation is currently underway— I don’t really know when there will be a result. It’s possible it will come out later this year, maybe sooner ,” a situation the U.S. president has already confirmed.
The foreign trade specialist commented on this situation, stating that this is a severe blow to the industry based in Mexico, as the immediate effect is that trucks and tractor-trailers will be more expensive when exported to the United States . Although it also opened the possibility of exploring exception mechanisms or alternative routes, the direct impact on competitiveness is on the table.
As part of the announcement of tariffs on trucks and tractor-trailers, Trump also announced that tariffs of up to 100 percent will be imposed on pharmaceutical products.
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