Since last April, the United States Department of Commerce began an investigation under Section 232 , a mechanism that allows for the imposition of trade measures when certain imports are considered to threaten national security. This process included tractor-trailer trucks produced in Mexico , which has placed the industry on Washington’s radar for months.
That risk materialized last week, when US President Donald Trump announced on social media that, starting October 1, he would impose a 25% tariff on heavy vehicles manufactured outside the United States , arguing that it was to protect local manufacturers.
“This is going to have a significant impact not only on production in Mexico, but also on prices in the United States. It’s like putting a tax on gasoline, because everything moves by truck,” explained Sofía Ramírez, general director of ” Mexico, How Are We Doing? “
Although Trump’s narrative is often more aggressive than what is ultimately implemented, the immediate effect is already being felt in the form of uncertainty, Ramírez explained. “Until the executive order is issued, we don’t know if Mexico will be exempt, but that’s unlikely to happen,” the specialist added.
For his part, Manuel Montoya, director of the Nuevo León Automotive Cluster (Claut), explained that the main tractor-trailer production plants in North America are located in Mexico, such as International , in addition to Freightliner in Coahuila and others, and all of them will face an additional impact precisely during a period of low sales.
“It’s not a good measure for anyone. On top of the fact they’re selling poorly, they should impose tariffs. And it’s not so easy to move production from one place to another. All the American government is doing is making the product more expensive, which will end up affecting the transportation companies that buy the trucks,” Montoya said.
Amid this tension, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed during her regular morning press conference on Monday, September 29, that she hopes the United States will “show consideration” for Mexico.
“We’re already in talks, hoping there’s some consideration for Mexico because otherwise, everything that doesn’t involve finished vehicles would have problems in the United States,” he stated.
Between January and August 2025, Mexico exported 45,445 tractor-trailer trucks to the United States, according to the latest report from the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor-Trailer Producers (ANPACT) . This market accounts for the vast majority of the industry’s foreign sales, with 95.5% of heavy vehicle exports to the United States in 2024 .
As of this writing, the executive order has not been issued . However, the industry already anticipates that trade costs will rise, affecting Mexico’s competitiveness in its main market and transferring inflationary pressures to the U.S. consumer.
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