MEXICO CITY, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's automobile sector announced on Monday it has set new production and export records in the first quarter of 2017, producing 13.6 percent more vehicles and exporting 14.6 percent more than in the same period last year.
According to figures from the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA), the sector manufactured 1,221,877 light vehicles from January to April, compared with 1,075,340 in last year's first quarter, for an increase of 146,537 vehicles.
In April alone, the industry rolled out 278,173 automobiles, 3.2 percent more than the same month last year, the industry group said.
Over the first quarter, Mexico exported a record 978,972 light vehicles, an almost 15 percent increase over the 854,118 units shipped abroad at the start of 2016.
In April, exports grew a whopping 16.1 percent compared with the same month last year.
The United States continues to be the leading market for Mexico's car exports, accounting for 76.4 percent of the total in the first quarter, followed by Canada, with 9 percent, Latin America, with 6.9 percent, and Europe, with 4.7 percent.
Domestic car sales also grew in the same period, rising 5.8 percent over last year, from 465,733 automobiles to 492,725, the AMIA said.
