Source: Gasgoo
According to Bloomberg, Miguel Barbeyto, head of Mazda’s Mexican operations, said that if US President-elect Donald Trump decides to impose a 25% tariff on products imported from Mexico, Mazda will adopt an unannounced “Plan B” for its Mexican production strategy.
Miguel Barbeyto stated that Mazda hopes to continue investing in Mexico, but if there is no support from the Mexican government, Mazda will suspend its investment in Mexico.
Miguel Barbeyto pointed out that about 70% of the cars produced by Mazda in its factory in Guanajuato, Mexico, are shipped to the United States, about 25% are sold in Mexico, and the remaining 5% are exported to Canada, Colombia, and Central America. The factory produces four models, including the Mazda CX-30 crossover SUV and the Mazda 3 sedan.
Mazda CX-30 2025; Image Source: Mazda
Mazda’s goal is to produce a record 210,000 cars in Mexico this year, up from 202,506 in 2023. Miguel Barbeyto stated that, including imported cars, the company expects to sell a total of 100,000 cars in Mexico annually, which will make Mexico its third largest market.
Last week, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard held a meeting with the heads of Mexico’s automotive industry to discuss the threat of US tariffs on Mexico and the potential modifications to the USMCA. It is reported that the US, Mexico, and Canada must confirm in writing by July 1, 2026, whether they wish to continue implementing the USMCA.
In addition to imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Trump also stated that he would impose an additional 10% tariff on products from China to increase domestic production in the US. Miguel Barbeyto said that Marcelo Ebrard had asked automakers to provide information to help Mexico strengthen its negotiating position and had asked them to replace Chinese auto parts with North American auto parts. He added that Mazda was working to meet these requirements.
Car manufacturers are very concerned about the potential tariffs that Trump may impose on Mexico, as they rely on thousands of auto parts that need to cross multiple countries before being finally assembled into cars.
Mazda’s US business head Tom Donnelly said this week in another interview that about 30% of the company’s car sales in the US come from Mexico. He added that if Trump imposes new tariffs on Mexico, the company is considering utilizing idle capacity at a factory operated jointly by Mazda and Toyota in Alabama, US.
Mazda and Toyota’s factory in Alabama began production in 2021, currently producing around 80,000 Mazda CX-50 crossover vehicles per year, but the plant’s annual capacity is 150,000 units. It is reported that the undercarriage and other core components used in the Mazda CX-50 are the same as those imported from Mexico for the Mazda 3 and CX-30 models.
