In March 2026, Mexican ports reported a growth of 3.1% compared to the same month in 2025, moving 816,170 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) , according to data from the National Port System of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) .
An analysis by T21 Business Intelligence showed that, despite the year-on-year increase, several ports lost TEU traffic in the third month of the year, although others reported increases, such as Lázaro Cárdenas, in Michoacán, which registered a 29.2% increase with 247,009 TEUs handled ; Puerto Morelos, in Quintana Roo, which grew 33.5% year-on-year with 602 TEUs; and Manzanillo, in Colima, which advanced 1.3% compared to March 2025, with the operation of 342,110 TEUs.
Conversely, Coatzacoalcos, in Veracruz, handled 994 TEUs, representing a 43.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2025; while Altamira, in Tamaulipas, recorded 69,919 TEUs handled in March 2026, a 15.4% decrease compared to the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the port of Veracruz handled 97,129 TEUs, representing a 5.9% year-on-year decrease.
Despite the negative figures recorded by several ports, the accumulated total for the first quarter of 2026 showed an advance of 2.3% compared to the same period in 2025, with two million 334 thousand 497 TEUs recorded.
Along those lines, Guaymas, Sonora, grew 26.3% with 3,967 TEUs moved ; and Lázaro Cárdenas increased 15% with 685,412 TEUs in the aforementioned cycle.
Regarding participation in March 2026, Manzanillo accounted for 42% of the total TEU movement ; Lázaro Cárdenas had 30%, Veracruz 12% and Altamira 9 percent.
In 2025, global trade reached a record $35 trillion , representing a 7.5% year-on-year growth rate; however, the imposition of tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East could slow this positive trend by the end of 2026, warned the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) .
Despite this context, Mexican ports registered a slight rebound in TEU movement in the third month of 2026, after an annual drop of 4.9% last February, resulting from less dynamism in Mexican economic activity.
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @GrupoT21
