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Last year, president Donald Trump attacked Mexico’s auto industry, particularly the American companies that choose to build cars there and not in the United States.

After his accusations, some analysts expected a drop in the production and sales in Mexico - but the numbers proved them wrong.

2017 was record-breaking for the automotive industry in Mexico, producing 9 percent more vehicles than in the previous year and more than any other year.

Exports went up 12 percent, and the American market took more than three fourths of the production. From each 100 vehicles sold in the U.S., 14 of them were manufactured in Mexico.

Eduardo Solís is the president of the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry.

Solís said they never expected that Trump’s rhetoric would affect them. He explained the growth benefits not only Mexico, but the entire North American territory. An example: the Sonora-Arizona region.

“Sonora is number one, not in number of vehicles produced, but in the value of of the vehicles, so yes I absolutely believe Sonora is important, and Arizona will always benefit from that,” Solís said.

Solís hopes the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) keeps the region highly integrated and competitive.

“There’s an increased significance of American suppliers,” Solís said. “NAFTA has been a tremendous success for the three countries.”