Mexico's non-auto exports jump 53% in September
The Finance Ministry credits U.S. demand for AI infrastructure parts; INEGI says only that electrical and electronic equipment rose 94.7%.
Mexico's manufactured exports outside the auto industry reached $56,338.7 million in September, up 53.0% from a year earlier, according to a bulletin from INEGIPDF, the national statistics agency. The figures are preliminary, so the agency can revise them when it publishes final numbers.
The Finance Ministry, known as Hacienda, posted a graphic with the number on its X account on Nov. 9 and credited U.S. demand for components used in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The bulletin neither backs nor contradicts that explanation. It does name the fastest-growing category: electrical and electronic equipment, up 94.7% from a year earlier.
The gap with the auto industry, long Mexico's best-known manufacturing exporter, is wide:
| Category | September (million dollars) | Annual change (%) | January-September (million dollars) | Annual change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-automotive | 56,338.7 | 53.0 | 436,638.0 | 46.0 |
| Automotive | 16,434.1 | 5.7 | 141,958.7 | 1.3 |
| Total manufactured | 72,772.9 | 39.0 | 578,596.6 | 31.7 |
Non-auto products made up 77.4% of September's manufactured exports, a calculation based on the bulletin's figures.
Imports climbed too. Total purchases from abroad grew 33.1%, and intermediate goods, the inputs factories use to make other products, reached $63,103.3 million, up 38.8%. The month closed with a trade deficit of $606.1 million, although January through September shows a surplus of $9,254.2 million.
Hacienda says the surge creates specialized jobs and better wages in exporting sectors. The bulletin has no employment or wage figures, so that link is unconfirmed. INEGI will publish October's trade balance on Nov. 27.
