Mexico’s Commercial Vehicles Sector

According to ANPACT (National Association of Commercial Vehicles Manufacturers), total 2012 production of heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles reached a new record of 138,078 units, an increase of 4% over 2011 and more than twice the 2009 bottom during the great recession.

The final tally for exports in 2012 showed 104,155 units, slightly below (1.2%) the peak in 2011.

The commercial vehicles domestic market is plagued by the same problems that affect light vehicles, namely the importation of used units from the U.S. and a lack of a more favorable fiscal treatment for the renewal of private and public fleets.

Most of the production of commercial vehicles in Mexico is output of tractors for the so called "18-wheeler" heavy trucks. Smaller heavy trucks and some passenger buses are also produced but in a smaller scale.

It is important to measure the relative importance of commercial vehicle production in comparison to light vehicles. For 2012, Mexico produced about 2,884,869 light vehicles and 138,078 commercial units. Total motor vehicles produced in Mexico were then 3,022,947.

In units, commercial vehicles are only about 4.8% of light vehicle production. But in value, if you consider an average price for a light vehicle of US$15,000 and US$100,000 for a tractor, then the commercial vehicles production value represents about 30% of that of light vehicles'.

By this token, Mexico's commercial vehicle production is not just a footnote in the industry but a very important segment, and one that is poised to experience important growth in the years to come.