Mexico to best Japan in car exports to U.S.

"Nation is on track to overtake Japan and Canada as the biggest source of imported cars by end of 2015."

"CELAYA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico is on track to overtake Japan and Canada and become the United States' No. 1 source of imported cars by the end of next year, part of a national manufacturing boom that has turned the auto industry into a bigger source of dollars than money sent home by migrants.

The multibillion-dollar wave of new factories is raising hopes that the North American Free Trade Agreement is fulfilling its promise of fueling growth and diminishing poverty south of the border, and it has turned a handful of central Mexican cities into bright spots of prosperity.........

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/02/21/mexico-to-trump-japan-as-no-2-car-exporter-to-us/5696795/

Wow, cool find!

Interesting. Maybe by the time I need to sell my Honda Fit "J" car so I can go Permanente, I'll be able to drive it NOB and trade for a Fit made in Mexico (but sold in the US with US safety standards)?

Not a big deal.  Japan manufactures most of what they sell IN the US.  I don't know if it's still true but a few years ago Honda exported more Accords from the US to Japan than they imported all other models.  Figures don't lie, but liars can figure.

Makes sense. Japanese labor costs are pretty high, plus shipping costs have got to be way higher too.

Pete

A follow-up story about Honda's new $800 million Fit factory and a $475 million transmission factory in Celeya:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/02/23/honda-fit-mexico/5727257/

peteben wrote:Makes sense. Japanese labor costs are pretty high, plus shipping costs have got to be way higher too.

Pete

That's true which is why they started manufacturing in the USA decades ago.

I always thought that "Fit" was a good name for that car - it's small enough that you can throw it.