MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexico's auto industry association says vehicle production rose 4 percent in 2008 as a rise in exports to Canada, Europe and other Latin American countries helped offset plummeting sales to the United States.
But association president Eduardo Solis predicts a much worse scenario in 2009 as the economic crisis takes hold around the globe. He says Mexico's production could fall 20 percent.
Mexico produced 2,102,801 light vehicles in 2008, up 4 percent from 2,022,241 in 2009. Exports rose 2.5 percent, from 1,623,963 in 2007 to 1,665,133 in 2008.
While exports to the U.S. fell 2.4 percent last year, Canada imported 26.9 percent more Mexican vehicles and Europe 9.8 percent more. Exports to other Latin American countries rose 19.6 percent.
