Exports of light vehicles made in Mexico increased slightly in the first half of 2026, despite the United States’ imposition of tariffs on Mexican autos last year and a sharp decline in exports in June.
The national statistics agency INEGI reported Tuesday that Mexico exported just under 1.69 million light vehicles (light trucks and cars) between January and June, a 1.4% increase compared to the same period of last year.
Mexico’s light vehicle exports have their worst first quarter since 2021
INEGI also reported that light vehicle exports declined 9.2% annually in June to 301,009 units. The newspaper El Economista attributed the decline in June to the U.S. tariffs, which aim to protect the U.S. auto industry and which took effect in April 2025. U.S. content in Mexican vehicles is exempt from the 25% duty, lowering the effective tariff for virtually all cars shipped north.
The United States is easily the largest market for light vehicles exported from Mexico. In the first six months of 2026, 75.9% of the approximately 1.69 million light vehicles Mexico exported went to the United States, according to INEGI. El Economista reported that the figure is down from 85% prior to the imposition of the U.S. tariffs.
The next biggest export markets for Mexican light vehicles were Canada (12.5%), Germany (2.8%) and Brazil (1.7%). The remaining 7.1% of exported light vehicles went to other countries around the world.
The automakers whose exports from Mexico increased in the first half of 2026 were Stellantis (+51.3%), Volkswagen (+37.4%), Acura (+13.4%), Audi (+13.4%), Kia (+10.8%) and General Motors (+0.8%).
Those whose exports from Mexico declined in the period were Nissan (-29.2%), Mazda (-14.9%), Ford (-10.4%), BMW (-8.6%), Honda (-8.1%), Mercedes Benz (-6.4%) and Toyota (-4.2%).
Light vehicle production fell slightly between January and June
INEGI reported that just over 1.99 million light vehicles were made in Mexico in the first six months of 2026, a decline of 0.4% compared to the same period of last year. It was the lowest output for light vehicles in Mexico in the first six months of a year since 2023.
General Motors was the largest manufacturer of light vehicles in Mexico between January and June, with a total of 445,658 units rolling off production lines. That figure represented an annual increase of 2.2%.
After GM came Nissan, which made 253,572 light vehicles in Mexico between January and July, an annual decrease of 25.8%.
Stellantis was the third-largest manufacturer of light vehicles in Mexico in the period, assembling 242,228 units, a 34.9% production increase. That was the largest production increase of any automaker. Stellantis announced plans in December to expand operations at its plants in Coahuila and México state.
The production of light vehicles in Mexico by Nissan, Mazda and Mercedes Benz declined by more than 20% annually in all three cases in the first six months of 2026. BMW’s light vehicle production fell by 14.6%, while Ford’s manufacturing output in Mexico declined 6.8% compared to the first six months of 2025.
Light vehicle sales increase 5.3% in Mexico in first half of 2026
INEGI also reported on Tuesday that domestic sales of light vehicles increased 5.3% annually in the first half of 2026 to reach 754,418 units.
Nissan was the top automaker for sales in Mexico, selling 127,099 light vehicles between January and June. That figure represented a decline of 0.9% compared to the first six months of 2025.
After Nissan, the best-selling light vehicles in Mexico between January and June were made by:
- General Motors: 96,921 units (+2.5%)
- Volkswagen: 65,565 units (+1.5%)
- Toyota: 62,129 units (+3.1%)
- Kia: 54,852 units (+3.6%).
INEGI reported sales for various Chinese automakers, but not BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. Among the Chinese brands whose sales in Mexico were reported, Geely was the top performer, moving 21,121 light vehicles in the first six months of 2026, an annual increase of 250.5%.
With reports from La Jornada, El Financiero and El Economista
