Automotive exports from Mexico fell at an annual rate of 3.9% in the first quarter of 2025, to 43.619 billion dollars, informed Inegi.
Mexico is the largest exporter of automobiles and auto parts to the United States.
However, in March 2025, automotive foreign sales from Mexico increased 6.2% in March, to US$17.023 billion.
Mexico exports a wide variety of automotive products, from cars and trucks, to auto parts, ATVs and pickup trucks.
Automotive exports from Mexico
In March 2025, the annual increase in Mexican automotive exports was derived from a 6.5% increase in sales channeled to the United States and a 4.0% increase in sales to other markets.
Until last March, these shipments were not impacted by the new tariffs authorized by U.S. President Donald Trump.
As of April 3, 2025, the United States applies a 25% tariff on all its auto imports, with the exception of U.S. content on vehicles imported from Mexico or Canada.
Following are the automotive exports from Mexico, in the first quarter of each year, in millions of dollars:
- 2018: 33,356.
- 2019: 34,237.
- 2020: 34,848.
- 2021: 33,164.
- 2022: 36,716.
- 2023: 43,154.
- 2024: 45,408.
- 2025: 43,619.
Auto Parts
Trump’s tariff order includes a temporary exemption for auto parts imports that qualify under the preferential tariff treatment rules of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
But there is no temporary exemption for finished automobiles or “automotive disassembly kits or parts compilations.”
The USMCA tariff exemption remains in place. This will continue until the Department of Commerce and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) implement a new process. In that process, the 25% tariff will apply only to non-U.S. content in auto parts imported under the USMCA.
With this future measure, companies will be able to certify the U.S. content of their auto parts. Thus, they will only pay the corresponding tariff on the non-U.S. produced part. This will facilitate compliance with the T-MEC and improve competitiveness in the automotive sector.