Mexican Heavy-Duty Truck Exports to U.S. Jump 117% in August

How many Mexican-built heavy-duty trucks shipped to the U.S. in August?

Mexico exported 14,310 heavy-duty trucks and buses in August, up 116.7% from 6,605 units a year earlier, with 92.5% of those vehicles bound for the U.S. market. The August spike reversed weakness earlier in the year, though year-to-date exports through August rose just 3.7% to 85,687 units compared to 82,620 in the same period of 2025.

Freightliner led production with 10,240 units in August, a 133.1% increase from 4,393 a year earlier, and exported 10,073 vehicles, up 151.4%. International produced 4,525 units (up 100.8%) and exported 3,877 (up 89.6%). Kenworth production rose 8.5% to 1,087 units, but exports fell 35.3% to 358.

What the production surge means for U.S. fleets

The U.S. took delivery of 79,261 Mexican-built heavy-duty vehicles through August, representing 92.5% of Mexico's total exports. Canada ranked second with 3,809 units (4.4%), followed by Colombia with 1,697 (2%). Cargo vehicles accounted for 97.6% of Mexican production through August, totaling 99,526 units, while passenger buses made up the remaining 2,414.

Mexico's truck fleet averages 19.3 years old, according to ANPACT, the national automotive industry association. The group called for expanded financing, tax incentives, scrappage programs, and measures to address imports of used heavy-duty vehicles from the U.S. About 26,000 used heavy-duty vehicles entered Mexico from the U.S. in 2025, down from roughly 29,000 in 2024. Those imports fell 29.2% year over year during the first seven months of 2026, but ANPACT said roughly 53 used imported vehicles enter Mexico for every 100 new vehicles sold in the country.

USMCA review and tariffs threaten integrated supply chain

ANPACT highlighted trade policy as a growing concern ahead of the USMCA review and amid U.S. Section 232 tariffs. The association called for preserving the trade agreement's existing rules of origin while reducing tariff burdens on companies that have invested to comply with regional-content requirements.

"The industry needs certainty," ANPACT director general José Zozaya Arzate said, according to a translation of his remarks. "Automotive investments are planned for the long term and require clear rules to make decisions about new plants, suppliers and production capacity."

ANPACT said it supports increasing regional content as agreed under USMCA to 70% in 2027, rather than loosening rules of origin, while seeking lower tariffs affecting the integrated North American heavy-duty vehicle supply chain. The USMCA review deadline passed July 1 without U.S. renewal, triggering rolling reviews that could reshape cross-border equipment supply chains.

Nexio secures 77-acre Texas campus for propane truck production

Nexio Power secured a 77-acre industrial campus in Anderson, Texas, that the company plans to use for commercial truck production, finishing, testing, and warehousing. The Texas-based manufacturer of propane-powered commercial vehicles said the property includes about 180,000 square feet of existing production capacity already equipped for heavy-duty vehicle manufacturing.

The previous operator used the site for large-scale fabrication and assembly, leaving infrastructure that includes paint and blast facilities, 13 overhead cranes, a dedicated testing complex, and racked warehousing. Nexio said the Anderson operation will allow it to begin truck production while serving as a bridge to a larger campus the company plans to develop in Lufkin, Texas. The Anderson property will eventually provide excess production capacity once the Lufkin operation comes online.

The facility will support complete vehicle assembly, beginning with chassis preparation and the installation of powertrains and cabs and continuing through superstructure assembly, wiring, plumbing, bodywork, painting, and finishing. The site will also have quality-control and chassis dynamometer capabilities before vehicles are shipped, as well as repair and refurbishment operations alongside new-vehicle production. On-site propane Autogas fueling will support the company's alternative-fuel vehicles.

Nexio describes itself as a Texas manufacturer of propane-powered commercial vehicles and alternative-fuel engines serving propane distribution and delivery operations as well as Class 5-8 commercial fleets. The Anderson campus is located along Highway 30 in Grimes County between College Station and Huntsville, about 90 miles from the Port of Houston and 80 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Nexio did not disclose the purchase or lease terms for the Anderson property, the number of employees expected at the campus, or an annual production target.

What this means for cross-border equipment supply

The August rebound highlights the scale of Mexico's North American truck manufacturing base and its dependence on U.S. demand. Freightliner and International together accounted for 89.9% of Mexican heavy-duty vehicle production in August and 97.3% of exports. Small fleets and owner-operators buying new Class 8 tractors from those OEMs are purchasing units built in Mexico's integrated supply chain, which faces uncertainty from tariff policy and the USMCA review process. The 19.3-year average age of Mexico's domestic truck fleet suggests limited domestic absorption capacity if U.S. demand softens or trade barriers rise.