Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments on this planet of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and commerce. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Exports of Mexican-made heavy-duty vans to US roar again and Nexio secures 77-acre Texas campus for industrial truck manufacturing.
Exports of Mexican-made heavy-duty vans to US roar again
Mexico’s heavy-duty car business posted a pointy rebound in August, with manufacturing doubling and exports greater than doubling from a 12 months earlier, whereas home wholesale gross sales continued to get well.
Heavy-duty producers in Mexico produced 16,389 vans and buses in August, a 100.2% improve from 8,187 models in August 2025, based on knowledge launched Wednesday by Mexico’s Nationwide Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
Exports jumped even quicker, rising 116.7% 12 months over 12 months to 14,310 models, in contrast with 6,605 autos throughout the identical month final 12 months.
The August beneficial properties symbolize a big turnaround from weak point earlier within the 12 months, though year-to-date progress stays rather more modest.
From January by way of August, producers produced 101,940 heavy-duty autos, up 2.6% in contrast with 99,311 throughout the identical interval in 2025. Exports totaled 85,687 models, a 3.7% improve from 82,620 a 12 months earlier.
Cargo autos accounted for 97.6% of Mexican heavy-duty car manufacturing by way of August, totaling 99,526 models, whereas passenger buses represented the remaining 2,414 autos.
The U.S. stays overwhelmingly the business’s largest export market. Via August, Mexico shipped 79,261 heavy-duty autos to the U.S., representing 92.5% of all exports. Canada ranked second with 3,809 models, or 4.4%, adopted by Colombia with 1,697 models, or 2%.
Freightliner, Worldwide drive manufacturing surge
Freightliner led heavy-duty car manufacturing in Mexico throughout August with 10,240 models, a 133.1% improve from 4,393 a 12 months earlier. Worldwide produced 4,525 models, up 100.8%, whereas Kenworth produced 1,087, an 8.5% improve.
Freightliner additionally dominated exports, transport 10,073 Mexico-built autos overseas throughout August, up 151.4% 12 months over 12 months. Worldwide exported 3,877 models, an 89.6% improve, whereas Kenworth exports fell 35.3% to 358 models.
| Producer | August manufacturing | YoY | August exports | YoY |
| Freightliner | 10,240 | +133.1% | 10,073 | +151.4% |
| Worldwide | 4,525 | +100.8% | 3,877 | +89.6% |
| Kenworth | 1,087 | +8.5% | 358 | -35.3% |
| Isuzu | 132 | +4.8% | — | — |
| Mercedes-Benz Autobuses | 106 | +6.0% | — | — |
| Hino | 105 | +72.1% | — | — |
| Foton | 70 | +311.8% | — | — |
| Volkswagen Camiones y Autobuses | 51 | -32.9% | — | — |
| Volvo Buses | 49 | -47.3% | 2 | N/A |
| Dina | 24 | +41.2% | — | — |
Supply: INEGI. August 2026 figures are preliminary.
Mexico’s truck fleet has a mean age of 19.3 years, based on ANPACT. The group known as for expanded financing, tax incentives, scrappage applications and measures addressing imports of used heavy-duty autos from the USA.
About 26,000 used heavy-duty autos entered Mexico from the U.S. in 2025, in contrast with roughly 29,000 in 2024. Though these imports fell 29.2% 12 months over 12 months throughout the first seven months of 2026, ANPACT stated roughly 53 used imported autos enter Mexico for each 100 new autos bought within the nation.
USMCA assessment, tariffs loom over Mexico truck business
ANPACT additionally highlighted commerce coverage as a rising concern for producers forward of the USMCA assessment and amid U.S. Part 232 tariffs.
The affiliation known as for preserving the commerce settlement’s present guidelines of origin whereas decreasing tariff burdens on firms which have invested to adjust to regional-content necessities.
“The business wants certainty,” Arzate stated, based on a translation of his remarks. “Automotive investments are deliberate for the long run and require clear guidelines to make choices about new crops, suppliers and manufacturing capability.”
ANPACT stated it helps growing regional content material as agreed beneath USMCA to 70% in 2027, reasonably than loosening guidelines of origin, whereas searching for decrease tariffs affecting the built-in North American heavy-duty car provide chain.
Nexio secures 77-acre Texas campus for industrial truck manufacturing
Nexio Energy has secured a 77-acre industrial campus in Anderson, Texas, that the corporate plans to make use of for industrial truck manufacturing, ending, testing and warehousing, based on a information launch.
The Texas-based producer of propane-powered industrial autos stated the property contains about 180,000 sq. ft of present manufacturing capability and is already outfitted for heavy-duty car manufacturing.
The earlier operator used the location for large-scale fabrication and meeting, leaving infrastructure that features paint and blast amenities, 13 overhead cranes, a devoted testing complicated and racked warehousing.
Nexio stated the Anderson operation will permit it to start truck manufacturing whereas serving as a bridge to a bigger campus the corporate plans to develop in Lufkin, Texas.
The Anderson property will ultimately present extra manufacturing capability as soon as the Lufkin operation comes on-line, based on the corporate.
Nexio stated the ability will assist full car meeting, starting with chassis preparation and the set up of powertrains and cabs and persevering with by way of superstructure meeting, wiring, plumbing, bodywork, portray and ending.
The location can even have quality-control and chassis dynamometer capabilities earlier than autos are shipped, in addition to restore and refurbishment operations alongside new-vehicle manufacturing.
On-site propane Autogas fueling will assist the corporate’s alternative-fuel autos.
Nexio describes itself as a Texas producer of propane-powered industrial autos and alternative-fuel engines serving propane distribution and supply operations in addition to Class 5-8 industrial fleets.
The Anderson campus is situated alongside Freeway 30 in Grimes County between Faculty Station and Huntsville, about 90 miles from the Port of Houston and 80 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Nexio didn’t disclose the acquisition or lease phrases for the Anderson property in its announcement, nor did it specify the variety of workers anticipated on the campus or an annual manufacturing goal.
Why it issues: The sharp August rebound highlights the size of Mexico’s North American truck manufacturing base, with the U.S. absorbing greater than 92% of Mexican heavy-duty car exports to date this 12 months.
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