Mexico displaced China since 2018 as the leading exporter of trailers to the United States market and its participation grew from 33.8% in 2012 to 53.2% in 2022, according to data from the Department of Commerce.
Thus, one of every two trailers (trailers) imported by the United States has its origin in Mexico.
In terms of value, these sales from Mexico to its northern neighbor totaled $3.73 billion in 2022, an increase of 56% year-on-year.
More precisely, this classification includes trailers and semi-trailers for any vehicle and other non-self-propelled vehicles and their parts. Trailers for truck tractors stand out and other units are also taken into account, for example trailers and semi-trailers for housing or camping, of the caravan type.
Mexican exports of these products grew from 750 million dollars in 2012.
By contrast, China’s share in the last decade fell from 39.3 to 23.8% and Canada’s decreased from 17.1 to 10.4 percent.
In 2022, China’s exports were $1.67 billion, followed by Canada ($732 million), Thailand ($167 million), and Vietnam ($161 million).
Mexico led the exports of road tractors for semi-trailers (tractor trucks) worldwide in 2022, with sales of 10.792 million dollars, which exceeded pre-pandemic levels. About 95% of those foreign sales go to the United States.
The Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC), which entered into force on July 1, 2020, included a series of changes in the rules of origin of the automotive sector.
Now the T-MEC requires a regional content value of 50% for semi-trailer trailers for housing or camping (of the caravan type), self-loaders, self-unloaders, tankers or for agricultural use, and for the auto parts of all these products, in accordance with the net cost method.
To take into account: the USMCA also requires that 75% of the content of a vehicle (70% in the case of heavy trucks) be produced in North America, and that the basic parts of the car come from the United States, Canada or Mexico .
Following a phase-in period that ended in 2023 for vehicles and will end in 2027 for trucks, only goods that meet these content requirements will receive duty-free access.
In Mexico, the production of trailers and semi-trailers is diversified, with most of the companies involved having Mexican capital.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Economy, the arrival of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to Mexico in the manufacture of bodies and trailers totaled 271 million dollars from 2019 to 2022.
