MANZANILLO, COL.- The customs office at Mexico’s main container port says it has found a way to overcome the operational chaos caused by the blockades carried out by its own employees in mid-May, which continues to persist two months later.
T21 visited the port of Manzanillo yesterday, invited by the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) , to learn about the work the customs office has done to improve the flow of goods along its fiscal route.
In response to a specific question from this reporter, General Corps Commander Luis Ángel Martínez Cabrera, deputy director of Customs Operations at the Manzanillo customs office, explained to the media group that attended the visit that the reasons that led foreign trade officials to carry out the “illegal closures” of the port are still unknown .
But they “assume” that part of their discomfort was due to two main factors. The first is the changes in leadership that occurred after Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez took over as head of the Manzanillo customs office in mid-April of this year.
Martínez Cabrera stated that some customs personnel refused to surrender their posts , which led to the first protest and closure on May 12. “They weren’t going to be fired, but rather relocated wherever customs requested,” he stated.
The second factor, he continued, was the request from the “central area” for the dismissal of four people who arrived during those days, for reasons that are still unknown or if there is a judicial investigation into the matter, generating even more annoyance and indignation among foreign trade officials, who in a second demonstration blocked all access to the port for two days (May 14 and 15).
The Deputy Director of Customs Operations confirmed that following the blockades, just over 70 foreign trade officials “abandoned their jobs .” This caused a significant delay in the customs clearance operations that were able to be carried out.
In fact, attendance at appointments granted for the pickup or delivery of goods for trucking units in the following days fell to record lows at the port.
On May 17, 2,802 appointments were granted, of which only 1% were fulfilled ; on the 18th, there were 257 appointments with 10% compliance, and on the 19th, there were 2,896 appointments, of which only 12% were completed, according to the document Statistics on customs clearance operations of the MCE, April-May 2025 , from the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) , of which T21 has a copy.
Faced with the departure of just over 70 employees, the response was to assign staff from the same customs office to essential activities. Furthermore, the flow of vehicles wishing to enter was coordinated with the National Port System Administration (Asipona) in Manzanillo , which was reduced by up to 50% . Meanwhile, ANAM assigned staff from other customs offices in the country to Manzanillo to assist in relieving the workload.
Luis Ángel Martínez confirmed to this outlet that they have currently hired 40 new officers and that all remaining positions are expected to be filled in the coming weeks.
The three days of closures at the port of Manzanillo created a profound imbalance between the number of goods entering (exports) and those leaving (imports).
The Deputy Director of Customs Operations indicated that, to repair the damage, a model has been developed that is “working properly and is intended to be permanent .” The official referred to more precise and stricter regulation of appointments.
“Before the closure, 4,500 vehicles were handled daily by appointment, but in the end, only 2,800 to 2,900 vehicles were served, and the rest didn’t enter and caused congestion outside (the port). Terminals were asked to provide their actual operating capacity, indicating how much they can handle per hour, and appointments are being issued based on that,” he described.
He also stated that in recent days, up to 3,100 vehicles have been served in 1.5 hours , up from the three hours previously allowed for appointments. “This means there is no longer overcrowding outside and there is a positive flow in and out,” he stated.
According to the Average Port Transportation Time Index (ITPAP) , conducted by T21 Business Intelligence, the port of Manzanillo averaged up to 11.6 decimal hours last May in the time taken by a transportation unit to collect imported merchandise, measured in three stages: waiting, maneuvering, and customs.
Depressed statistics
For the first six months of this year, the port of Manzanillo has accumulated the operation of 15,491,564 tons of merchandise (including petroleum products), representing a 9.7% drop compared to the same period last year, according to statistics from Asipona Manzanillo.
Likewise, container handling totaled 1,884,028 TEUs (20-foot containers) during the first half of 2025, a 2.7% decrease measured at an annual rate.
The impact of the closures is also evident in the tax sector . ANAM data indicates that, during May of this year, the Manzanillo customs office, the second largest generator of tax revenue, collected 13,921.72 million pesos in cash flow collections (which does not include virtual payment methods and Special Certificates), achieving a real variation (which excludes inflationary effects) of 5.1% annually.
However, within this amount, there are decreases in the payment of taxes such as the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS), the General Import Tax (IGI) and the Tax on New Automobiles (ISAN) .
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