Mexican heavy-duty truck production and exports surge in July

Mexico’s heavy-duty commercial vehicle output surged 51.8% year-over-year in July, reaching 14,675 units, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). Exports of trucks and buses built in Mexico also climbed 66.7% to 13,117 vehicles, with over 90% of shipments destined for the United States. The sharp rise in production and exports was driven by significant increases at the Escobedo plant of International Motors, which saw an 87.2% jump in output to 4,151 trucks compared to July 2025. Freightliner’s Mexican plants in Saltillo and Santiago Tianguistenco contributed 8,984 units, a 50.3% increase year-over-year, while Kenworth’s Mexicali plant produced 921 trucks, a 3.4% decline from the previous year. Combined, International, Freightliner, and Kenworth accounted for 95.8% of all commercial vehicles manufactured in Mexico during the month. Despite the overall growth, July’s production dipped 3.9% month-over-month from June’s 15,262 units. The Escobedo plant, which supplies subassemblies for International’s global operations, remains a critical hub for Class 8 vehicle production. Earlier in 2025, the facility reduced capacity by eliminating a second shift, resulting in 900 job losses. The rebound in freight demand across North America has prompted truck makers to consider expanding operations, including International’s potential second shift at its San Antonio plant in the U.S. and Daimler Truck North America’s plans to enlarge its largest U.S. manufacturing site by the end of 2026.