Mexico auto production surged 27 percent in December compared with the same month a year earlier, while exports jumped 21 percent, the Mexican Auto Industry Association (AMIA) said, predicting substantial gains in the years ahead. Compared to 2013, output rose 9.8 percent in full-year 2014 to a record 3.22 million units, while exports increased 9.1 percent to 2.64 million vehicles, also a record, AMIA said. Mexican auto exports to the United States rose by 22.3 percent during December, but declined by 0.8 percent for Canada. Vehicle exports to other countries in Latin America were up 17.9 percent, while shipments to Asia soared by 115 percent, the association said. Auto exports to Europe, however, slid by 22.3 percent in the last month of 2014. Local auto sales advanced by 11.7 percent in December to 133,273 units, AMIA said. According to the Mexican government, the automotive industry has pledged some $19 billion worth of investment in the country since President Enrique Peña Nieto took office in December 2012. By 2020, AMIA president Eduardo Solis said he expected some 5 million autos to be manufactured annually in Mexico. (Reuters)