Escobedo Underpins Mexican Truck Production Growth in June

Mexican heavy-duty commercial vehicle production saw a 7.6% year-over-year increase in June, with International Motors’ Escobedo plant leading the way. The Escobedo plant built 4,181 trucks in June, an 11.6% increase from the same period last year and an 18.8% increase from May. This growth comes as sales of Class 8 trucks continue to rise across North America. Despite a decline in first-half production, with 70,876 vehicles built, a 13% decrease from the same period last year, June exports climbed 3.2% to 12,730 vehicles. The US received 92.3% of these exports. Traton, the parent company of International Motors, expects stronger North American sales in the third quarter, with June orders more than doubling. The company’s second-quarter sales fell 8% year over year to 16,200 trucks and buses, but rose 21% compared to the first quarter. Other major truck manufacturers, including Daimler Truck North America’s Freightliner unit and Paccar’s Kenworth division, also saw increases in production, with a combined 14,735 trucks built in Mexico in June. Freightliner’s Saltillo and Santiago Tianguistenco plants built 9,379 trucks in June, a 9.6% year-over-year increase, while Kenworth’s Mexicali plant built 1,175 trucks, a 0.5% decrease from the same period last year.