Nissan Mexicana Pauses Shipments of QX50 and QX55 SUVs to the US, but Will Start Producing Frontier Pickup in Mexico
Nissan’s Mexican subsidiary, Nissan Mexicana, has decided to halt shipments of its Infiniti QX50 and QX55 SUVs to the US due to new tariffs. These models are produced at the Aguascalientes plant.
Rodrigo Centeno, President and CEO of Nissan Mexicana and Infiniti, stated that despite the tariff situation, the company will continue investing in Mexico and increasing production. The Sentra model, Nissan’s most exported to the US, remains unaffected by these changes.
The tariffs have led to a reconfiguration of production platforms. As a result, Nissan is transferring production of its Frontier pickup from Argentina to the Cuernavaca plant in Mexico.
In the US, Nissan already produces Frontier with 40% US content and 20% Japanese components. Centeno emphasized the need to work with Mexico, stating that while there is uncertainty due to the tariffs, they will adapt their base to meet new customer demands.
Infiniti Pauses US Shipments
Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, directed by Guillermo Degollado in Mexico, announced it is pausing new orders for QX50 and QX55 SUVs destined for the US market. These models are produced at Mexico’s COMPAS plant.
Infiniti México’s official stance includes reviewing operations, supply chains, and production networks to find optimal solutions ensuring efficiency and sustainability.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US Department of Transportation, the QX55 (luxury crossover SUV) is made with 15% US content, 55% from Mexico, and 25% from Japan. The QX50 (compact SUV) contains 10% US or Canadian components, 45% from Mexico, and 30% from Japan.
The Trump administration determined that Mexican-made vehicles exported to the US would pay a 25% tariff on non-US content. This makes it challenging for Nissan to absorb the cost increase.
Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, opened a 40-day negotiation period with the US to achieve tariff exemptions for Mexican automotive exports to the US.
US Sales
Last year, Nissan’s export from Mexico to the US increased by 28.6% to 326,682 units, making it the third-largest exporter behind General Motors (711,582) and Ford (358,366).
The most ordered vehicle in the US market is the compact Sentra, with 179,767 units shipped. Following it are the Kicks SUV (85,783), the Versa subcompact (49,398), and the QX50 and QX55 Infiniti models (8,154 and 3,580 units respectively).
Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, initiated a 40-day negotiation period with the US to secure tariff exemptions for Mexican automotive exports.
