Heavy truck production in Mexico increased 11.1 percent in February, year-over-year, to 18,792 units. With this growth, the negative trend of the last two months (December and January) was broken, according to SteelOrbis analysis of data from the national statistics office Inegi.
The increase in production was driven by the substantial increase of Freightliner (owned by the German Daimler Group) with 25.6 percent. International Truck stood out with a 9.3 percent drop in production.
Of February's total production, 95.5 percent was concentrated in three companies: Freightliner with 59.3 percent, with 11,143 units. Its market share increased 690 basis points. International Truck contributed 27.5 percent with 5,166 units; its market share decreased 620 basis points for a reduction of 9.3 percent, year over year. Kenworth contributed 8.7 percent to production, 40 basis points more with 1,641 units.
The remaining 4.5 percent of production was contributed by seven companies: Mercedes-Benz Buses, Foton (subsidiary of Beiqi Foton Motor), Volkswagen Trucks and Buses, Volvo Buses, Isuzu, Hino Motors and Dina.
Shacman (Shaanxi Automobile Group) and MAN Truck stand out, and at least so far in 2024, there are no production records.
In foreign trade, February exports broke the negative trend of the last three months and in February grew 14.6 percent, year over year, to 15,167 units.
Total exports were concentrated in three companies. Freightliner contributed 66.4 percent, International Truck contributed 29.8 percent and Kenworth 3.7 percent.
Retail sales in the Mexican market increased 28.6 percent, year over year, to 4,604 units.
Inegi's production information comes from the 10 companies affiliated with the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers (ANPACT) and from the unaffiliated company, Sparta Motors, which is owned by the Chinese company Shaanxi Automobile.