Amid uncertainty over US tariff policy, vehicle production in Mexico, as well as exports, slowed down during 2025 compared to 2024, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) announced this Friday .
During the period January-December of last year, three million 953 thousand 494 units were produced , which represented a decrease of 0.9% compared to the same cycle of 2024, when three million 989 thousand 483 vehicles were manufactured, according to the Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Light Vehicles (RAIAVL).
During that period, light trucks accounted for 77.2%, with 3,052,163 units manufactured in Mexican plants ; the remainder (22.8%) corresponded to the production of automobiles, with 901,331 units.
When reviewing the brands with the highest growth, in 2025, Toyota stood out in its production with an increase of 26.6%, adding 310,152 units compared to 245,007 in 2024.
Ford followed , with a 7.9% increase, reaching 417,280 units manufactured last year. KIA registered a 6.4% increase in the 2025 cumulative total, with 288,100 vehicles produced.
Meanwhile, in December 2025, car manufacturing in Mexico was 243,961 units , an increase of 8.5% compared to the same month in 2024, when 224,943 vehicles were manufactured.
Exports decline
Vehicle exports suffered from the tariff effects imposed by the United States, as shipments of units manufactured in Mexico abroad fell 2.7% compared to 2024, with three million 385 thousand 785 vehicles.
In January-December of last year, the United States was the main destination for light vehicle exports, with 78.4%, or 2,653,897 units; followed by Canada , with 376,251 units, which represented 11.1% of shipments abroad.
Among the brands that registered the highest exports during 2025 were Toyota, with a 30.1% increase compared to 2024, totaling 318,812 vehicles. Ford followed, with an 11.4% increase, exporting 423,283 cars, and KIA, with a 5.4% increase, totaling 217,440 exported cars.
In the last month of 2025, vehicle exports totaled 227,262 cars , a decrease of 14.5% compared to 2024, when 265,954 units were shipped abroad.
The decline recorded in 2025 in terms of vehicle production and exports shows an adjustment of both indicators in a context marked by trade uncertainty, changes in demand and consumption, as well as the protectionist policy of the United States, which has moved the conditions of world trade.
It also reflects a less dynamic end to 2025 compared to the performance that the Mexican automotive industry maintained in 2024.
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