Heavy vehicle sales in Mexico fell by half in August from a year earlier, driven by a slowing economy, tariff uncertainty and operational hurdles in freight transport.
Sales of heavy vehicles — trucks and buses — totaled 5,897 units in August, down by 50pc from 11,727 in August 2024, according to statistics agency Inegi. Wholesale sales — orders from large logistics and freight operators — fell by 60pc to 2,541 units in August from 6,323 a year earlier, a sign that major operators continue to delay or scale back purchases because of uncertainty and higher operating costs.
Heavy vehicle production fell by 62pc in August to 8,187 units from 21,769 a year earlier, Inegi data shows. Exports fell by 59pc to 6,605 units in August from 16,251 a year earlier.
Heavy vehicle sales from January-August fell sharply from the previous year, with about 46,500 units were sold in the eight-month period, down by 40pc from 76,500 units in the same period of 2024.
"These results show that we continue to face a challenging environment, with tariff pressures and volatility in international trade," said Rogelio Arzate, president of Mexico's association of truck and buses manufacturers Anpact. "In this scenario, the key lies in strengthening our domestic market through a swift and effective vehicle renewal process, allowing for the modernization of the fleet with more efficient, safer and less polluting units."
Imports of used heavy vehicles from the US is also diminishing demand for new units in Mexico, Arzate said.
Heavy vehicle demand is a key indicator for logistics-sector activity, which in turn influences demand for diesel and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), used as an additive to diesel to reduce emissions.
