Mexican Manufacturing: A Gateway for Chinese Electric Vehicles

Chinese automakers are aggressively targeting Mexico to access the lucrative US market amid trade tensions.

### China's EV Strategy: Using Mexico as a Back Door to the US Market
* 🚗  Chinese automakers, including Tesla rival BYD, are targeting Mexico as a prime export market across the US border, with some announcing **plans to build factories in the country**.
* 🇨🇳  Last year, China overtook Japan to become the world's largest auto exporter, sending **4.9 million cars overseas**, and **1.2 million of those cars were electric**.
* 🇲🇽  In 2023, Mexico was the leading importer of cars made in China, importing a total of **$4.6 billion worth of Chinese vehicles**, compared to **$4.4 billion from US-based companies**.
* 💰  Chinese EVs are gaining traction in Mexico due to their affordable prices, with BYD's Dolphin mini selling for around **$21,000**, less than **half the price** of the cheapest Tesla.
* 🌎  This move is part of a broader strategy by Chinese automakers to target emerging economies, which can be **friendlier to foreign investment** compared to developed markets.
* 🇺🇸  The US is concerned that Chinese automakers could use Mexico as a back door to **circumvent tariffs and gain access to the lucrative American market**, potentially posing a threat to US automakers.
* 🤔  For now, major Chinese automakers have stalled plans to build factories in Mexico, citing tensions with the US, but the situation could change after the **USMCA is reviewed in 2026**.
* 🔮  The future of Chinese EV production in Mexico and its impact on the US market remains uncertain, with experts suggesting that **significant investment is unlikely before 2026**.

the electric vehicle revolution shaped by trade tensions. Concern around competition from China is weighing on American lawmakers and auto companies. China's growing global auto dominance has some lawmakers on edge. At the center of that conversation is a country known for its beaches and its ideal trade proximity to the US: Mexico. The Chinese have targeted Mexico as a prime export market across the US border. The country has seen an influx of Chinese-made new energy cars. The Chinese automakers came to the country very aggressively, and now some Chinese automakers, including Tesla rival BYD, are announcing plans to build factories in Mexico. But for the US, there's concern this might be a part of a larger strategy. The Chinese would love to access the US market because there were profits to be made in the US market. Getting indirectly to the United States market is tricky because of the tariffs and other obstacles, and so I think many of these Chinese automakers look at Mexico as a back door in the

United States of America. Washington has built a wall to block cheap exports using tariffs, but experts say these may only be buying time. This is a Chinese version of a Godzilla. Get ready, this thing's coming, and it's going to shake up the world. So, how has Mexico become a hot spot for Chinese auto companies, and will the country become a pathway for these cars to drive into the US? [Music] Chinese automakers are winning over millions of drivers around the world. Last year, China produced over half of all electric vehicles sold worldwide, supported by government subsidies and lagging domestic demand. Chinese EV makers have had to look overseas to sell their cars. Last year, China overtook Japan to become the world's largest auto exporter, sending 4.9 million cars overseas, and 1.2 million of those cars were electric. China has built up such automotive production capacity that it can't possibly sell all of those vehicles in China, so it has to look to other markets. Almost overnight, Mexico has become a major market chain.

automakers are becoming more international. So, Mexico fits in this broader story of Chinese companies trying to access new markets. In 2023, the country was the leading importer of cars made in China, importing a total of $4.6 billion worth of Chinese vehicles. That's compared to $4.4 billion from US-based companies. In May, BYD launched a brand new hybrid pickup truck in Mexico. It was the first time the company had debuted a new product outside of China, and Mexican consumers are quickly embracing Chinese-made EVs. Last year, one in 10 vehicles sold in Mexico were made by a Chinese company, outpacing every other foreign country. Even consumers weary of electric cars are drawn to Chinese EVs for their affordable price tags. BYD sells its Dolphin mini in Mexico for around 398,000 pesos, that's around $21,000, a little less than half the price of the cheapest Tesla. The Chinese automakers came to the country very aggressively, they have to be honest.

very good promotions. Chinese cars are a good product that sells at a very reasonable price. Experts say China's entrance to Mexico follows a broader strategy to target emerging economies, which can be friendlier to foreign investment. Latin America, parts of Asia, and the Middle East have all seen influxes of Chinese-made cars in recent years. Unlike the developed economies, the emerging ones are less complicated, less complex in terms of regulations, and I'm talking about safety standards or emissions standards. So, the Chinese car makers, if you look at the figures, they are gaining traction faster in those economies than in the developed economies. For example, Latin America, which the current government in Brazil was quite enthusiastic about welcoming BYD's newest investment. They now have a factory in Brazil that they're building. Similarly, I think the biggest recipient of Chinese investment in terms of new electric vehicle factories is Thailand. So, you usually see these companies go where they're welcome. Earlier this year, multiple Chinese automakers have

announced plans to open EV factories in Mexico. Mexican states Durango, Jalisco, and Nuevo León have even offered incentives to Chinese automakers to open manufacturing operations. These include tax breaks, free land, and help hiring labor. Experts say this process of nearshoring, or bringing production closer to the final target market, would benefit both parties. For Mexico, the factories would bring jobs and limit the cost of importing so many cars. For Chinese companies, they could increase a foothold in the North American market. But this is what has Washington worried. Mexico is already a manufacturing powerhouse, serving as a hub for many international auto brands. Tesla has been exploring manufacturing sites in the country, although plans are on hold for now. This started in the mid-90s with the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which removed tariffs on many goods traded between the US, Mexico, and Canada. The big winners were auto companies. The most recent iteration of the

trade agreement was enacted by Donald Trump in 2018. It's called the US Mexico Canada agreement or the USMCA. First, the Germans came, you know, Audi, BMW, and then the Japanese came, Toyota, Honda, and then lastly, the Koreans came, Hyundai, Kia, and others. Some people now are arguing that the next wave is going to be driven by Chinese companies. Mexico is an attractive production platform, not only for Chinese companies but for other companies as well, in part because of that free trade access that it has to the American market. And it can do something that in trade terms is called circumvention. In order to sell its overcapacity of cars, China needs to access wealthier markets like the US and Europe. But so far in the US, they've been blocked by tariffs and political tension. To get around these barriers, China could take advantage of the USMCA. It would look something like this: if a Chinese auto company were to set up operations in

Mexico or Canada and prove that the majority of materials that they use to build their cars are sourced locally. They could export their cars into the US market virtually duty-free for EV production. Chinese automakers have narrowed in on Mexico for its manufacturing infrastructure, low labor costs, and most importantly, proximity to the US. It's a strategy that Chinese companies have used before for more than a decade now. China and the United States have been playing a high-stakes game of whack-a-mole when it comes to trade policy, tariffs, and trying to get into the market. We've seen China do this in other types of manufacturing, from appliances to auto parts to steel, and so autos is the next logical sector for China to scale up investment in Mexico. It's a potential scenario that terrifies US officials and automakers. If they're able to do that, set up in Mexico to manufacture for the United States, they would definitely pose an imminent threat to American automakers, if for no other reason because their costs would be lower, really.

the most lucrative market in the world, in a lot of ways, is the American market. We're only 5% of the world's population, but we consume 20% of the world's goods. We are great at consumption, and Americans like a deal. If they were to see a Chinese-made EV that comes in at $15,000 or $20,000, they're very price motivated, and these things could potentially wipe out a lot of the US competition. For now, none of the major Chinese automakers have begun building factories in Mexico, and many have stalled plans, citing tension with the US. This sentiment among the Chinese automakers I've talked to is that things are so tense between the US and China right now that now's not the right time to come and invest in the US, not the right time politically, just too much tension. Mexican government officials have likewise paused incentives to Chinese automakers. BYD has publicly walked back intentions to enter the US market, at least for now. They're not ready, but then for BYD

We are ready. The USMCA is set to be reviewed in 2026, and who leads that discussion from the White House remains up in the air. At the Republican National Convention in July, Donald Trump made a pitch for Chinese companies to set up shop in the US if he were to become president. Those plants are going to be built in the United States, and our people are going to man those plants. I know, and look, I've heard Donald Trump say a couple of times that he wants to see those Chinese companies come to the United States. I think that would be a massive mistake. Experts say this could be detrimental to the American auto industry. When you look at, for instance, the flat glass industry in the United States, you think of the big windshields that are put on automobiles. We used to make a lot of those in the United States, all over the state of Ohio, many other places. Many of those companies went out of business because, again, China, you know, more than a decade ago, provided big

subsidies to its glass companies. They wiped out the competition, so I don't want to see that happen with automobiles in the United States because the Chinese auto companies just don't have that same cost of capital as, say, Ford or Stellantis or GM do. Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has not shared her policy stance on EV production. When will the Chinese actually begin to invest in the United States or Mexico to manufacture? Not before 2026, I'd say, is the quickest we'd see something happen. And so much depends on how the next administration wants to play things. In the meantime, Mexico still remains in the crossfire of a trade war between two global superpowers and the EV revolution. CNBC reached out to the Mexican government as well as Chinese automakers BYD, SAIC, and Chery. We did not hear back by the time this video went online. [Music]

How Chinese EVs Are Taking Over Mexico

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China's Impact on the Electric Vehicle Market in Mexico

Trade tensions and competition from China are causing concern for American lawmakers and auto companies.

China's aggressive expansion into Mexico has led to a surge in Chinese-made new energy cars and plans for local factory construction by companies like BYD.

With China's automotive production capacity exceeding domestic demand, Mexico has quickly become a crucial market for Chinese automakers looking to enter the US market.

China's Growing Influence in Mexico's Auto Industry

Mexico has become the leading importer of Chinese-made cars, with $4.

6 billion worth of vehicles imported in 2023.

BYD's launch of a hybrid pickup truck in Mexico marks its first product debut outside of China, and Chinese EVs are rapidly gaining popularity among Mexican consumers.

The aggressive expansion of Chinese automakers in Mexico is part of a broader strategy to target emerging economies, which offer a friendlier environment for foreign investment.

Chinese automakers are planning to open EV factories in Mexico, attracted by incentives from local states.

This nearshoring process is beneficial for both Mexico, which gains jobs and reduces car import costs, and Chinese companies, which can establish a stronger presence in North America.

Mexico's manufacturing power and free trade access to the US market make it an attractive location for production, potentially allowing Chinese companies to circumvent trade barriers.

Chinese automakers are targeting Mexico for its local sourcing, low labor costs, and proximity to the US, aiming to export cars duty-free for EV production.

This strategy, used by China for over a decade in various industries, poses a potential threat to US automakers due to lower production costs.

However, tensions between the US and China have stalled major Chinese automakers' plans to build factories in Mexico, leading to a pause in incentives from the Mexican government and a delay in BYD's entry into the US market.

USMCA Review and Chinese Investment in the US

The USMCA is set for a 2026 review, with uncertain leadership from the White House.

Donald Trump's proposal for Chinese companies to set up in the US has raised concerns among experts, who warn it could harm the American auto industry.

The timeline for Chinese investment in the US or Mexico is unclear, with 2026 being the earliest possible start, while Mexico remains caught in a trade war between the US and China.