'Chocolate' cars almost double sales of new units in Mexico

The number of autos ‘chocolate‘, which entered from smuggling a Mexicoalmost doubles the sale of new units nationwide, warned the Mexican Association of Car Dealers (AMDA).

It reported that, between October 2021 and the first week of April 2024, two million 185 thousand 408 were legalized vehiclesthanks to a decree of regularization that promoted the government federal, which was extended until the last day of the president’s administration Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

He pointed out that this figure is 60% higher than the sale of new units that were registered in the country during 2023, when automotive agencies invoiced a total of 1,361,433 vehicles.

This implies that, for every 100 autos new, marketed during the last year in the country, there are –at least– 160 so-called vehicles chocolatewho entered Mexican territory as contraband in the last 29 months.

To measure the impact of income and regularization of such vehiclessuffice it to say that during the reference period, 1,483 thousand cars per day, with an average of 44,490 units per month.

Damage to the automotive market

The executive president of the AMDAGuillermo Rosales Zárate, explained to Advertising meter that the regularization of chocolate cars, promoted by the government federal causes three serious damages to the mercado automotive and the country is as a whole.

He pointed out that the first is associated with a 30% drop in sale of used or semi-new cars in the country, especially in the states of the frontera north like Tamaulipas. Chihuahua y Baja California.

He pointed out that the second damage is caused by the characteristics of the units, which are considered “automotive scrap” and the use that the groups of the delinquency organized in your business o criminal activities.

While the third damage comes from the consequences of having extended the term of the decree of regularization until the last day of the current six-year term, because the entry of autos Smuggling continues and is encouraged by that provision.

“We can easily estimate that the entry and regularization – of chocolate cars – will be overcoming the barrier of two and a half million of the total number of vehicles at the end of this governmentwith this decree.

“Although we are confident that, in order to limit this invasive wave of automotive scrapwhich benefits the groups of the crime organized mainly, the next government will no longer continue with this predatory practice of the economy formal and inciting criminality“said the AMDA president.