The heavy-duty transport sector faces a particularly complex situation: as the world advances in a technological and mobility transition, Mexico must negotiate a revision of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) under a climate of uncertainty and external pressure.

During the  XXIII International Congress of the Automotive Industry in Mexico (CIIAM) , Rogelio Arzate, executive president of the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers (ANPACT) , warned that there is no viability for profound changes in the midst of this transition, so attention should focus on strengthening the integration of North America .

“Components cross the border up to seven times before being incorporated into a final vehicle,” he said, emphasizing that regional interdependence cannot be ignored.

Arzate also listed the structural issues facing the industry in Mexico: sufficient clean fuels to operate Euro VI technologies, urgent road improvements and maintenance of logistics infrastructure, and security in key corridors.

He noted that although the industry already offers the latest emissions technologies , the lack of reduced-sulfur diesel across the country is hindering its full adoption.

ANPACT’s vision, he said, is for customs, infrastructure, and transportation logistics to become catalysts for competitiveness.

He emphasized that rail projects represent an opportunity for freight transportation, since “any train that moves goods will eventually require heavy vehicles to complete the last mile.”

In view of the USMCA review, Arzate emphasized that Mexico must strengthen its competitiveness in the heavy-duty transport sector, ensuring a level playing field with its partners, clear rules, and conditions that attract investment without slowing fleet renewal.

(Main image source: INA) .

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To date, the capacity of the National Refining System (SNR) does not allow it to meet the quality conditions of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (DUBA) . By 2019, of the six refineries that the country has, practically four were or were in the process of being maintenance or in the reconditioning phase, today the situation is not very different.

In this sense and regarding the entry into force of the update of NOM-044 (referring to emissions from diesel engines) of the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), which determines that starting in 2025 only market vehicles in Mexico with Euro VI and EPA 2010 technologies, Carlos Vallejo, founding partner of QUA Energy Consulting , says that the SNR is working at 40% of its capacity, although at certain times there is a production peak that sometimes helps to have certain types of oil products.

“Strictly speaking, DUBA diesel is a product that will not be able to be supplied due to the specific conditions of the six refineries in the country. What we are going to see in the future is a kind of additional extension. Although the transporters have an interest in the sale of this product, including for issues of equipment policies because some are affected because they are not respecting the guarantees because UBA diesel is not supplied,” Vallejo assured.

The specialist explained that once the new administration takes office there will be greater openness to review and make a modification to NOM-016 of the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) that details the quality specifications of petroleum products.

Vallejo advocates that the associations and chambers linked to road freight transportation, as well as the manufacturers of heavy commercial vehicles, have close communication ties with the institutions in charge of the issue and even with the new science and technology agency.

“This would push us to work together and get the issue unblocked, but this more than a political will, in the end the person who materializes the issue is Pemex , if the parastatal does not have the capacity to produce and supply UBA diesel, at least in geographically strategic areas. “it will not be possible to meet the objectives,” he stated.

The situation opens a window of opportunity for fuel importing companies that could import a greater quantity of UBA diesel to satisfy demand.

“Strictly speaking, the renewal of the freight transport vehicle fleet and even the growth of fleets due to the effects of nearshoring is driven to a certain extent by compliance with the standard, however, due to technical issues the SNR has not been able to achieve it. and in the short term it is not seen as a reality that it will be achieved,” he concluded.

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