RIVIERA MAYA, Q. ROO. – In Mexico, moving goods isn’t just a matter of kilometers; it’s increasingly a matter of timing, planning, and adaptation. But this logistical choreography, which should be executed with Swiss precision, still faces obstacles that hinder its efficiency, according to specialists.
During the panel Multimodal Logistics in Mexico: Connecting the Country to the World , held within the framework of the 25th National Forum on Freight Transport , organized by the National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , where representatives of ports, shipping companies and railways presented both advances and limitations of the system.
Mauricio Soto , Commercial Manager of SSA Marine Mexico , made it clear that the effects of the strike last May by customs workers at the port of Manzanillo are still being felt.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done. We’ve dropped as much as 45% in daily appointment capacity. Today, we’re almost back to normal levels, but we’re still reeling from the snowball,” Soto said. Despite the port community’s daily work, he acknowledged that the recovery hasn’t been immediate.
Deeper, the root of the problem is structural. Jesús Abraham Jiménez of Hutchison Ports México explained that many terminals still face basic coordination challenges.
“When it’s not decided in advance whether a container will be shipped by train or truck, it creates a mess that forces loads to be relocated, wasting time and efficiency,” Jiménez said.
He also mentioned that, following the rail blockades in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, three years ago, customers lost confidence in trains and migrated to road transport. This forced the redesign of entire operations: from 80% planned for rail, they switched to 80% road operations.
From the railway sector, Vianey De la Mora , general director of the Mexican Association of Railways (AMF) , recognized both the progress and the limits in the railway sector.
In this regard, he celebrated the integration with the United States and Canada and emphasized that “today we can see a Canadian train in Ferrovalle ,” but he also admitted that the intermodal cargo volume is still low: 913,000 containers moved in 2024, far below the potential. “The train goes as far as there is a track,” he said, emphasizing that its use is only viable for certain logistics profiles.
In contrast, smaller shipping lines have opted to create shorter, safer, and more efficient routes. Daniel Blazer , co-founder of World Direct Shipping , explained that his short-haul shipping model between Mexico and Florida is driven by two reasons: time efficiency and safety.
“Insecurity was one of the reasons for starting the maritime service. With shorter routes, we avoid risk zones,” he stated. He also warned of new regulatory threats, such as the carbon tax proposed by the International Maritime Organization ( IMO), which still lacks clarity on how to store or process these captured emissions. “It could lead to a dangerous modal shift,” he maintained.
Although everyone agreed on the need for more integrated logistics , the contrasts were evident. On the one hand, terminals with automated yards operating with millimeter precision. On the other, logistics flows continue to depend on improvised decisions or vulnerable infrastructure. This isn’t a lack of technology; rather, a lack of real coordination between modes.
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