The port of Manzanillo in Colima, Mexico’s largest maritime trade port , suffered one of its most severe operational crises between May and June due to a labor dispute that partially paralyzed its activities and whose consequences are already reflected in its figures.
In May of this year, the port recorded the movement of 298,923 20-foot containers (TEU) , the lowest monthly figure so far in 2025. This is the first time this year that the volume has fallen below 300,000 TEU , after having reached a maximum of 337,670 operations in March.
On May 12, workers at the Manzanillo customs office began a series of demonstrations and work stoppages to denounce alleged labor abuse and unjustified dismissals. These protests continued until May 16, when they were evicted by authorities.
Although the protests lasted only four days, they were enough to destabilize operations at the port . As of May 20, the port was operating with only five inspectors. On June 12, Contecon Manzanillo announced that, together with Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) , they would activate extended 24-hour hours at the Manzanillo customs office for three days to “address peak demand . “
Port rhythm in the country
Despite its internal conflicts, the Port of Manzanillo continues to lead the nation in the number of port operations. However, it registered the steepest decline in May 2025, with a 10.4% drop compared to the same month in 2024. It was followed by the Port of Altamira, Tamaulipas, with a 3% reduction. In contrast, Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, reported a 12.6% growth , while Ensenada, Baja California, registered a 6.2% increase, based on data from the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) .
From January to May, the port of Manzanillo recorded 1.59 million operations , followed by the port of Lázaro Cárdenas with 1.028 million; the port of Veracruz with 509,427; Altamira with 373,428; and Ensenada with 170,576 operations.
However, the port that saw the greatest annual growth in accumulated operations was Lázaro Cárdenas, with an increase of 12.9% , followed by Altamira, Tamaulipas, with 2.3%; while the port of Veracruz recorded the largest decline, with a contraction of 4.6%, followed by Manzanillo, with a decrease of 1%.
The recent crisis in Manzanillo not only highlighted the operational fragility of Mexico’s most important port in the face of conflicts, but also raised alarm bells about the need to modernize its processes to maintain operations. While the ports of Lázaro Cárdenas and Ensenada benefited from what happened in Manzanillo , the challenge for this port will be to demonstrate that its leadership depends not only on its numbers, but also on its ability to manage and overcome crises like those of last May.
(Main image source: @ASIPONA_Man ) .
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