Mexico's light-vehicle sales up 18.6% y/y in 2016, production grows 2% y/y

Exports remains flat at 2015 level

Mexico's light-vehicle (LV) sales surged at double-digit percentage rates, growing 18.6% over the year in 2016, according to the latest data from the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (Asociación Mexicana de La Industria Automotriz: AMIA); this is also the best December on record, the association noted. In December 2016, sales increased 19.9% year on year (y/y) and full-year sales reached 1.6 million units. This compares with a gain of 19.1% in 2015 and sales of 1.35 million units. Mexico's LV sales differ from those in other global regions in that passenger-car demand has accounted for about 66%.