The Mexico Valley Railway and Terminal (Ferrovalle) announced yesterday that it has requested the suspension of container cargo transits from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas , due to difficulties “unrelated to the operation” in carrying out customs clearance at its intermodal terminal, which has caused high occupancy at its facilities.
In a statement distributed by Ferrovalle Intermodal to its clients, such as shipping lines and logistics operators, it stated that this situation has been occurring for three weeks, and “has caused an occupancy as of today (May 5) of 94% of the total capacity of the controlled area with an average dwell (stay) of 18 days.”
This situation contrasts with the figures reported at the beginning of last April, when the controlled area had a 26% occupancy rate. However, due to the significant imbalance between terminal departures and arrivals, the area is currently at maximum capacity.
“Considering that dispatch times have increased considerably for reasons beyond the control of Ferrovalle Intermodal, we are forced to request the suspension of container loading with final destination to the Ferrovalle Intermodal bonded facility originating from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, effective today (May 5), until such time as conditions exist for efficient and safe operational resumption,” the statement said.
The concessionaire for the line connecting the port of Lázaro Cárdenas with Ferrovalle is Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) of Mexico . T21 reached out to the railroad company for comment on this situation, but has so far received no response.
The Ferrovalle Intermodal Terminal is an important logistics hub for receiving and shipping goods to Mexico City and its metropolitan area via rail lines that connect with ports on the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, as well as with the northern border.
The French shipping company CMA CGM told T21 that they are aware of this situation but have not reported any impact so far. The main container terminals in Lázaro Cárdenas have also not reported any adverse impact due to this decision.
Likewise, the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) told T21 that they are analyzing this situation.
A source close to the operation at Ferrovalle, who requested anonymity, told T21 that customs agents have slowed down their operations , “because there are ANAM (Mexican National Customs Agency) operations outside Ferrovalle, and they prefer not to leave with their cargo to avoid being subject to inspection.”
ANAM statistics report that, during the first three months of 2025, the customs office operating in Ferrovalle (Mexico Customs) totaled 43,728 operations , which has even meant an 18.2% drop compared to the same period last year.
These operations have mostly been imports, with 41,120 also reporting a 14.2 percent decrease.
For the first quarter of this year, this customs office has collected three thousand 122.93 million pesos , an annual increase of 8.4%, an amount that places it in 25th position nationwide (the country has 50 customs offices in total).
“Customs procedures there are very slow,” said another anonymous source who is actively involved in container imports at the Ferrovalle terminal.
Operation in Ferrovalle
According to the most recent data from the Mexican Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) , as of October 2024, Ferrovalle handled 2.02 million tons , a 4.20% year-over-year increase. This represented 1.81% of the 111.86 million tons transported on the Mexican Railway System.
With information from Evangelina del Toro
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