The Mexican automotive industry continued its negative performance in terms of production and export of light vehicles reported in July 2026, registering declines in both indicators, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

According to the Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Light Vehicles (RAIAVL),  302,673 units were manufactured in Mexico in the seventh month of the year , representing a decrease of 2.2% compared to the same month of 2025.

Meanwhile, in the first seven months of 2026, 2,298,977 vehicles were manufactured , a drop of 0.65% compared to the same period last year, when 2,314,077 units were produced.

The productive structure of the sector continued to be dominated by light trucks, which accounted for 79.4% of total production in the January-July 2026 cycle, while the remainder corresponded to automobiles.

Among the brands with the best manufacturing performance in the January-July cycle, Stellantis stood out , with an increase of 25.1% compared to the same period in 2025. It was followed by  Volkswagen , with an increase of 19.9%; and KIA, with an annual advance of 9.2%.

Exports slow down

According to figures released by Inegi, exports in July of this year totaled 261,534 units , a decrease of 9.7% compared to the same month in 2025.

In the January-July period, 1,950,779 light vehicles were shipped abroad , a decrease of 0.26% compared to the first seven months of last year.

The United States was the main buyer of vehicles assembled in Mexico, accounting for 75.9% of international shipments.

Stellantis and Volkswagen were the brands with the largest increases in their exports, with increases of 44.8% and 22.5% at an annual rate, respectively, in the January-July 2026 cycle.

The results for July show a slowdown in the Mexican automotive sector, which is occurring amid the imposition of 25% tariffs by the United States on most cars manufactured outside the United States.

The figures also come in the context of a reconfiguration of the automotive industry , where automakers like Toyota announced last July the transfer of production of the Tacoma pickup from its plant in Tijuana, Baja California, to San Antonio, Texas.

Added to this is the review process of the  United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , which has the automotive sector as one of the main topics of negotiation.

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