Mexican vehicle manufacturing remained weak throughout the third quarter as the US economy continued its slow recovery, local motor industry association AMIA said on Wednesday, according to Dow Jones.
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Car makers turned out 128,247 vehicles in September, or 10.6% less than in the same month of 2002, and, in the first nine months of 2003, production dropped by 14.8% compared with the 2002 period to 1.18 million units, AMIA said in a press release cited by the news agency.
Roughly seven out of 10 cars made in Mexico are for export, mostly to consumers in the US, and Mexico is the world’s 11th-largest car manufacturer, the report noted.
Car makers in Mexico exported 102,675 vehicles during September, or 5.7% less than in the same month last year, while year-to-date vehicle exports were down about 10.3% to 1 million units, Dow Jones said.
Domestic car sales, meanwhile, rose 2.8% during the month to 70,132 units, but were down 2.2% during the 9-month period at 691,148 vehicles, the report said.
According to Dow Jones, the government has been hoping that Mexicans would purchase more than a million vehicles this year, boosting the case for manufacturers to stay or expand in the country.
Volkswagen took the top prize for sales in the first nine months of the year. The company sold more than 32,000 Jettas and nearly 40,000 Pointers in Mexico to beat out other models in the popular compact and subcompact segments, Dow Jones said.
