Manzanillo customs workers have been on strike since early Monday, disrupting the entry and exit of transport vehicles from the port and affecting logistics delivery times for companies using this maritime hub , the most important on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Videos circulating on social media show customs staff carrying signs with demands such as “decent working hours , ” “help, President , ” “more staff,”and “no labor abuse . ”
Just last April 15, it was announced that Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez was appointed to head the Manzanillo customs office , the second largest in revenue collection in the country.
Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador decided to have military or naval personnel in charge of customs administration, although since the beginning of this year, Rafael Marín Mollinedo, a civil servant close to the ruling Morena party, has taken over the leadership of Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) .
The National Port System Administration (Asipona) in Manzanillo announced this Monday that, given the blockage of both access points to the port, they will launch an operation to assist the stranded drivers, providing them with drinking water and medical attention for those who are fatigued.
Port authority statistics indicate that just over four thousand trucking units enter the port daily to pick up or unload merchandise.
From January to April of this year, the port of Manzanillo has accumulated a total of 10,413,468 tons of merchandise , just 6.6% less than the same period last year.
In terms of tax collection, the Manzanillo customs office is the second most active in the country , behind only the Nuevo Laredo customs office, Mexico’s most important border crossing with the United States.
In the first three months of this year, the Manzanillo customs office collected a total of 48,465.85 million pesos , a 29.2% increase over the same period last year, according to ANAM data.
By the end of 2024, this customs office collected a total of 172,450.21 million pesos, 22% more than in the 2023 cycle.
During the first quarter of 2025, this customs office will carry out a total of 280,343 operations , most of them in import activities (251,233 operations).
To date, ANAM has not issued any statement regarding the Manzanillo customs personnel’s protest.
Photo: Taken from the Manzanillo al día Facebook account.
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