Mexican imports fuel 2019 U.S. auto sales in record volumes

Imports from Mexico accounted for more than 16% of U.S. sales volume in the first half of 2019.

Mexican exports now account for more than 16 percent of cars sold in the United States, surpassing last year's high-water mark of 15 percent. Despite threats from President Trump, that figure is likely to increase.

According to CNBC, the total number of Mexico-built vehicles sold in June alone numbered almost 250,000, and that figure is up more than nine percent compared to June of 2018. Total exports from Mexico are up more than 13 percent so far in 2019.

While the Trump administration has used the threat of tariffs as leverage for negotiating the ongoing U.S.-Mexico border crisis, it has yet to actually impose any additional levies on products coming in to the U.S.

Manufacturers who assemble vehicles and components in Mexico are represented by the Asociacion Mexicana de la Industria Automotriz (AMIA), which counts just about every volume seller in the U.S. market among its members--including ostensibly domestic manufacturers such as General Motors and Ford. Some manufacturers with no sales network in the United States are represented as well, such as Renault and Peugeot.

AMIA tracks all exports by region and manufacturer. It should come as no surprise that the United States is the largest export market for vehicles assembled in Mexico. More than 75% of automotive exports from the country are sold in the U.S. Volumes drop precipitously from there, with Canada and Latin America taking the #2 and #3 slots at just over seven and just under six percent of total exports, respectively, and Europe falling in just behind.