One of the four vessels owned by the Chinese automotive giant, BYD , has called for the first time at ports in Mexico , under its strategy of satisfying global demand with its own fleet of Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) ships that it began piloting since the beginning of 2024 and which has meant great logistical savings.
The BYD Changzhou , with a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters and a draft of eight meters, had its first call in the port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa (northwestern Mexico).
Mazatlán Maritime Terminal (TMAZ) , the operator of the multi-purpose terminal that has become a benchmark for automotive maritime transport in the Mexican Pacific, received a total of two thousand units in 24 hours.
“The ship’s arrival strengthens Mazatlán’s strategic position in the automotive sector’s logistics chains, supporting the transition toward clean technologies and sustainable mobility solutions,” said Mauricio Ortiz, general director of TMAZ, in a social media post.
From January to May of this year, TMAZ added 73,686 units transferred from different automotive companies , mostly in import services (73,186), a slight decrease of 5.8% compared to the same period last year, according to statistics from the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) , an office of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) .
The second port of call was at the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán, the country’s busiest maritime port for the automotive industry.
SSA Marine Mexico ‘s specialized automobile terminal received 3,503 units .
“The arrival of this ship not only represents a logistical milestone, but also the strengthening of the commercial relationship with a brand that is transforming the global landscape of electric transportation,” stated the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) , a unit of the CGPMM, in a press release.
For the first five months of this year, the port of Michoacán handled 278,449 new cars , a 6.4% annual increase. Here, the balance also leans toward imports, with 201,802 units in the period, according to data from the port authority.
These units, which BYD has imported into Mexico with its own fleet, will be installed in one of the 50 dealerships it has in the country, although it plans to open 30 more this year .
Last year, BYD sold 40,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in Mexico , and this year it aims to double that number, reaching 80,000 units sold.
A maritime bet
The Chinese automotive brand has gained a significant presence around the world. Its main markets outside of China are Thailand, Brazil, and Germany.
Last year, BYD exported a total of 417,204 units and forecasts to exceed 500,000 vehicles this year, all of which are currently exported from China, although it has plans to build its first plants abroad in Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey, and Hungary.
BYD has a commercial presence in 95 markets globally.
The automaker began using Ro-Ro vessels in 2024 to meet its demand literally anywhere. This incorporation of specialized vessels has resulted in a reduction of up to 40% in logistics costs for the company per shipment, according to its estimates.
In the short term, its plan is to have at least nine ships , up from the current four, to add a static—or floating—capacity of 67,000 automobiles.
The four vessels owned by the Chinese brand are the BYD Explorer No. 1 , with capacity for 7,000 vehicles; the BYD Changzhou (7,000); the BYD Hefei(7,000); and the BYD Shenzhen (9,200).
However, this initial BYD fleet is smaller on the scale of the large shipping companies specializing in the transport of zero-kilometer cars, such as Wallenius Wilhelmsen , with 126 operating vessels, NYK Line (113), Mitsui OSK Lines (100), EUKOR Car Carriers (80) or Höegh Autoliners (40).
Global vehicle transport capacity is expected to increase by 42% by 2027, with the delivery of 198 new vessels.
BYD isn’t the first automaker to have its own Ro-Ro shipping line. Nissan Motor Car Carrier (NMCC) has a total of nine vessels for the maritime transport of its vehicles.
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