Mexico’s Vehicle Exports Slide in September as the US Absorbs 76% of Shipments

US Remains the Destination for More Than Three-Quarters of Mexico’s Vehicle Exports

The United States continued to dominate Mexico’s automotive export market during the first nine months of 2026, receiving more than three-quarters of the country’s light-vehicle shipments. However, September brought a sharper downturn in both exports and manufacturing, highlighting mounting pressure on Mexico’s export-oriented automotive industry.

According to figures released Wednesday by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the country exported 1,931,750 light vehicles to the US between January and September. That represented 76.4% of Mexico’s total exports of 2,528,623 vehicles during the period.

Canada ranked second among export destinations, receiving 314,185 vehicles, equivalent to 12.4% of the total. Germany followed with 64,963 vehicles, or 2.6%, while Brazil accounted for 43,821 units, representing 1.7%. Other international markets collectively received 173,904 vehicles, or 6.9%.

Despite the continued importance of the US market, Mexico’s automotive export performance weakened considerably in September. Shipments to international markets totalled 277,369 light vehicles, down 11.9% from 314,656 units recorded in September 2025.

The latest monthly decline was significantly steeper than the contraction recorded over the first nine months of the year. From January through September, Mexico’s light-vehicle exports fell 1.5% year over year, from 2,567,172 to 2,528,623 units. Manufacturers therefore shipped 37,287 fewer vehicles abroad than during the same period in 2025.

Vehicle production contracts as domestic sales strengthen

Manufacturing activity also declined in September. Mexican auto plants produced 301,803 light vehicles, 15.1% fewer than the 355,589 units produced a year earlier. The cut was 53,786 vehicles.

output of the first nine months of 2026 decreased more moderately. Output was 2,946,943 light vehicles, down 2.4% from 3,020,006 units in the comparable period in 2025.

That fall ran counter to what happened in Mexico’s internal market. New light vehicle sales rose 7.9 percent to 129,274 units in September from 119,766 a year earlier.

This divergence signals a divergence between domestic demand and Mexico’s export-oriented manufacturing sector, still heavily reliant on US buyers. Shifts in American demand can have a big impact on cross-border freight movements, as well as automotive suppliers and the broader logistics network that connects the two countries.

Light trucks still made up the biggest portion of Mexican auto production. Light trucks made up 79 percent of production, with 2,329,189 units produced by manufacturers from January through September. Passenger cars made up 21% of the rest, with 617,754 units produced.

Mixed results from large manufacturers

In September, production performances were mixed for the Mexican-based automakers.

General Motors sold 58,949 vehicles, down 27.1% year-on-year. Nissan also experienced a big shrinkage, with output down 26.3% to 44,355 units.

Ford Motor produced 29,480 vehicles, down 16.4% from September 2025, while Volkswagen’s production fell 5.9% to 27,475 units.

Stellantis took the other route, with production up 4.4% to 35,834 vehicles.

The overall drop in manufacturing and exports points out the necessity of keeping a close eye on US demand for Mexico’s automotive industry. Most of those vehicle shipments from Mexico go to the U.S., so production levels and export flows are still key indicators for cross-border trucking, rail transportation and the automotive supply chain.”

DSV Opens New McAllen Office to Expand US-Mexico Network

Global logistics provider DSV has expanded its footprint along the US-Mexico border with the opening of a new office in McAllen, Texas. The move is designed to support demand for cross-border transportation and logistics and supply chain services.

ProTexas Industry says the new facility will be used by manufacturers, freight forwarders and other businesses moving goods between the two countries. Its services will cover transportation coordination, logistics support and help with cross-border operations.

The McAllen office rounds out DSV’s existing network of border locations in Laredo, Brownsville, El Paso and Los Indios, Texas and San Diego, California.

The expansion is also expected to strengthen the logistics provider’s ties to manufacturers in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico. Maquiladoras, manufacturing operations that depend on efficient cross-border freight movements to link production facilities with customers and supply chains in the United States, are located in the region.

DSV offers transportation and logistics services through a network spanning the globe with offices in more than 90 countries. The company provides ground, air and ocean transportation, customs clearance, warehousing and supply chain management services.

The new location expands the company’s operational footprint in a strategically important trade corridor where manufacturers rely on dependable transportation links between Mexican manufacturing sites and US markets.

Texas A&M International University asks for $772,700 for Laredo AI-based freight project

A $772,700 federal grant is being sought to help pay for an artificial intelligence project to improve freight movement through Laredo, Texas, one of the main commercial gateways between the United States and Mexico.

Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar announced proposed funding Oct. 2 for Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Port Laredo Logistics Ecosystem Project.

The Laredo Morning Times reported the initiative will establish a Digital Twin and Logistics Resilience Lab in partnership with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The project will use artificial intelligence, sensors and secure data systems to build a digital version of freight activity. Researchers and transportation companies would be able to find bottlenecks, predict disruptions and improve the flow of goods across the border by modeling logistics operations and the movement of cargo.

The proposed funding is in the fiscal year 2027 appropriations legislation. The allocation is yet to be finalized and subject to the federal funding process being finalized.

The investment would if approved help fund research into technology-driven freight management in a region critical to U.S.-Mexico trade. More accurate information on freight flows and possible disruptions could assist transport operators in reducing congestion and making cross-border supply chains more resilient.

What these changes signify for cross-border logistics

Mexico’s dependence on the US auto market is inextricably linked to the larger freight industry and a slowdown in car exports is a good proxy for that. Lower production and exports abroad could affect truck, rail and auto supply chains on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile, DSV’s expansion in McAllen signals continued investments in cross-border logistics infrastructure and services. The proposed TAMIU project is an example of how artificial intelligence and digital modeling can help to address freight bottlenecks.

All these developments would seem to point to competing forces in the US-Mexico trade corridor: weaker performance of auto exports, continued investment in logistics networks and a desire to leverage technology to improve the movement of goods.