Borderlands Mexico: Exports of Mexican-made heavy-duty trucks to US roar back

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Exports of Mexican-made heavy-duty trucks to US roar back and Nexio secures 77-acre Texas campus for commercial truck production.

Exports of Mexican-made heavy-duty trucks to US roar back

Mexico's heavy-duty vehicle industry posted a sharp rebound in August, with production doubling and exports more than doubling from a year earlier, while domestic wholesale sales continued to recover.

Heavy-duty manufacturers in Mexico produced 16,389 trucks and buses in August, a 100.2% increase from 8,187 units in August 2025, according to data released Wednesday by Mexico's National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).

Exports jumped even faster, rising 116.7% year over year to 14,310 units, compared with 6,605 vehicles during the same month last year.

The August gains represent a significant turnaround from weakness earlier in the year, although year-to-date growth remains much more modest.

From January through August, manufacturers produced 101,940 heavy-duty vehicles, up 2.6% compared with 99,311 during the same period in 2025. Exports totaled 85,687 units, a 3.7% increase from 82,620 a year earlier.

Cargo vehicles accounted for 97.6% of Mexican heavy-duty vehicle production through August, totaling 99,526 units, while passenger buses represented the remaining 2,414 vehicles.

The U.S. remains overwhelmingly the industry's largest export market. Through August, Mexico shipped 79,261 heavy-duty vehicles to the U.S., representing 92.5% of all exports. Canada ranked second with 3,809 units, or 4.4%, followed by Colombia with 1,697 units, or 2%.

Freightliner, International drive production surge

Freightliner led heavy-duty vehicle production in Mexico during August with 10,240 units, a 133.1% increase from 4,393 a year earlier. International produced 4,525 units, up 100.8%, while Kenworth produced 1,087, an 8.5% increase.

Freightliner also dominated exports, shipping 10,073 Mexico-built vehicles abroad during August, up 151.4% year over year. International exported 3,877 units, an 89.6% increase, while Kenworth exports fell 35.3% to 358 units.

ManufacturerAugust productionYoYAugust exportsYoY