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The National Institute of Statistics and Geography reported that factories in Mexico produced 302,803 light vehicles in October 2026. This figure reflects a reduction of 65,125 units from the 367,928 vehicles assembled in the same month of 2025. Exports totaled 258,137 units, down 56,090 from the 314,227 shipped a year earlier. The institute compiled the statistics through its administrative registry of the light-vehicle automotive industry.
These contractions marked the sharpest for production since November 2021 and for exports since late 2025, an assessment from the Mexican Automotive Industry Association found. Output for the first 10 months of 2026 reached 3,254,062 units, a 3.95 percent decline from the 3,387,934 produced in the comparable period of 2025. Exports over the same span stood at 2,786,760 vehicles, 3.28 percent below the prior year’s total. The association drew on the same registry data to detail the year-to-date performance.
The United States absorbed 76.6 percent of Mexican vehicle exports during the January-to-October period, according to the institute’s breakdown. October shipments to the US market fell 17.6 percent to 202,724 units from 245,912 a year earlier. Analysts linked the weakness to a 25 percent tariff imposed on Mexican autos entering the United States, a factor that has influenced demand since earlier in the year. The institute’s monthly register highlighted the destination-specific figures.
General Motors registered the largest export decline among major producers at 47.2 percent, the statistics institute data showed. Stellantis exports decreased 12.9 percent while Ford shipments dropped 21.4 percent and Mazda fell 32.5 percent. BMW Group and Volkswagen also posted reductions, though specific percentages varied by company. The registry attributed the company-level results to the overall market contraction.
September had already signaled the downturn, with production down 15.1 percent and exports lower by 11.85 percent, according to a separate report from the association. Full-year 2025 production had closed at 3,953,494 units, a 0.9 percent dip from the previous year, an earlier industry compilation indicated. The pattern of softening external demand has persisted into 2026, the data series demonstrates.
Domestic sales offered limited relief in preceding months, rising 7.94 percent in September to 129,274 units, the institute reported at the time. The automotive sector remains central to Mexican manufacturing, with the US-Mexico-Canada trade framework continuing to shape export flows. Industry tallies confirm that cumulative figures through October underscore the sustained pressure on production schedules.
