CANCÚN, Q. ROO – The continued existence of shipping agents in the logistics chain will depend on their ability to solve problems that shipping lines cannot or will not handle on their own. Pressure to reduce costs and control operations is forcing agencies to demonstrate their value, while digitalization and a talent shortage are raising the bar for competition.
This challenge was addressed in the panel “The Shipping Agent and its Evolution,” held at the 30th National Congress of Shipping Agents , organized by the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) . The discussion revealed a profession that has expanded its responsibilities, but whose position as an intermediary faces questions from its own clients.
Roberto Meillón, president of Amanac, warned that shipping lines with frequent stops are seeking efficiencies that could lead them to take over functions currently performed by travel agencies. To maintain their position, these agencies will need to offer additional solutions and build teams capable of responding to the needs of the vessels. “The lines are looking for ways to become more autonomous and less dependent on us,” he stated.
This transformation has a history. Andrés Echeverría Bennett, general manager of Representaciones Transpacíficas (Transpac) , explained that the establishment of container shipping companies’ own operations in Mexico prompted his company to diversify into logistics, customs brokerage, and external storage yards . This pursuit also included ventures in transportation, which, he acknowledged, did not yield the expected results.
According to the executive, incorporating technology requires investing in training without losing the ability to handle emergencies at any time. Receiving ships in the early morning hours and dealing with problems that arise on weekends underscore the need for personnel with operational expertise. “The future will be human, with the help of technology,” he stated .
The expansion of the profession also changed its relationship with cargo. Miguel Ángel Andrade Gómez, general director of Amanac and moderator of the panel, described the transition from attending to the ship and exchanging information via telex to a more extensive intervention: “This same evolution has transformed them into coordinators or logistical architects of the cargo that comes on board.”
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