On February 27, the Manzanillo Port Community (Copoma) will renew its board of directors in an election that, although it will not formally define the presidency – a position that by statute falls to the general director of the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Manzanillo – will mark a turning point in the business representation within Mexico’s main maritime port on the Pacific coast.

Vice Admiral José Ignacio Moreno Díaz, the current director general of Asipona Manzanillo, heads both registered slates, confirming the institutional nature of Copoma’s leadership, an organization conceived as a space for coordination between the government and the private sector . However, the real contest is focused on the operational positions that support the presidency, particularly the vice presidency, the secretary, and the treasurer—positions that, in practice, facilitate daily communication between companies and the port authority.

As of press time, two forms had been registered:

Staffing Plan 1 is made up of profiles closely linked to land logistics operations and the direct handling of goods.

The vice presidency would be held by César Humberto Romero García, CEO of CIMA Group ; the secretary position by Yax Tzel Nolasco Gómez, president of RETO Agencia Aduanal , Transportes NOGO and delegate of the National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram) in Colima; the treasurer position by Raúl Sandoval López, general director of Grupo HAZESA ; and the Honor and Justice commission by Sergio Quiñones Rosales, director of GIMP Group and vice president of the National Association of Importers and Exporters of the Mexican Republic (ANIERM) .

Collectively, this group represents actors whose activity is located in the operational core of the port logistics flow.

Meanwhile, List 2 comprises representatives from trade associations and key sectors of foreign trade. The vice presidency would go to Óscar Benavides Carrillo, president of the Association of Customs Brokers of the Port of Manzanillo (AAAPUMAC) ; the secretary position to Roberto Meillón Covarrubias, president of the Shipping Agents Association and representative of the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) ; the treasurer position to Pablo Saúl Alcántar, president of the Union of Local Transportation Companies of Manzanillo (UETLM) ; and the Honor and Justice position to Rocío Pasillas Orozco, representative of Index Occidente , an organization that represents the export manufacturing industry.

Beyond the naming conventions, the process reflects the coexistence of two visions regarding business representation at the port . While one group operates from day-to-day logistics operations, the other emerges from the institutional structures involved in customs clearance, shipping representation, and the export industry. Both converge on the same objective: to strengthen coordination with the port authority in an increasingly complex environment.

The context in which this election takes place is significant. Manzanillo has consolidated its position as the country’s main container port , concentrating most of the maritime trade with Asia and serving as a gateway for the main industrial corridors of the Bajío region and central Mexico.

Last year alone, the port of Manzanillo handled 3,893,357 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) , just 0.8% below the figure reported a year earlier, according to port authority statistics.

Regarding the volume handled -excluding natural gas and oil and derivatives-, the port of Colima totaled 29 million 823 thousand 164 tons of goods in 2025, 5.0% below that recorded in 2024.

However, this leadership has also exposed its operational limitations, forcing the acceleration of expansion, modernization and logistical reorganization projects, including the development of new port areas in the Cuyutlán Lagoon with the New Manzanillo Port project (currently suspended due to environmental studies) .

In this context, Copoma has become a key liaison mechanism for channeling the needs of the private sector to the port authority. Although it does not exercise regulatory functions, its capacity for dialogue influences the identification of bottlenecks, operational coordination, and the building of consensus regarding the port’s operation.

The election on February 27th will therefore not alter the organization’s institutional leadership, but it will define which profiles and sectors will assume the role of predominant interlocutors within the port ecosystem. In a port where logistical, industrial, shipping, and customs interests converge, this representation acquires strategic value.

Work proposals: Forms 1 and 2

Analysis of the work plans—of which T21 has a copy of both—reveals that both proposals share the same diagnosis: the port’s growth has generated operational pressures that exceed the current logistical coordination capacity. However, their proposals diverge in the type of solutions they prioritize and the level of intervention they propose for the port ecosystem.

Slate 2 , headed by Vice President Óscar Benavides Carrillo, focuses its proposal on the physical organization of truck traffic as the main axis for improving port efficiency. Among its most concrete initiatives are the implementation of a regulating yard to control the entry of trucks into the customs and bonded area, as well as the certification of larger trucking companies’ yards to regulate their operations through technology and monitoring systems.

This proposal seeks to directly address one of the main factors of port congestion: the disorderly arrival of units and the lack of synchronization between yards, carriers and terminals.

Following the same logic, this document proposes specific measures aimed at improving the physical flow of operations, such as paving key roads like the Jalipa-Fiscal Zone access , optimizing customs inspection platforms, and implementing mechanisms to control the staggered entry of units into the port.

This is a strategy focused on intervening directly on the infrastructure and critical points where the greatest operational delays occur.

Another central component of their proposal is the strengthening of institutional capacity within the port, through efforts to increase staff in Customs, Immigration and Profepa , with the aim of streamlining inspections and reducing dispatch times.

This measure acknowledges that a significant portion of operational delays is associated not only with infrastructure, but also with the capacity of the authorities to process the increasing volume of transactions.

In contrast, Slate 1 , headed by Vice President César Humberto Romero García, proposes a broader transformation based on digitalization, the institutionalization of port management, and the creation of operational measurement tools. Among its most relevant proposals is the implementation of a Copoma Operational Indicators Dashboard , which would measure time, productivity, and logistical performance, as well as the adoption of digital systems to standardize processes and improve coordination among stakeholders.

This initiative aims to introduce data-driven management, with the ability to identify and correct structural inefficiencies.

This plan also proposes the creation of a Permanent Coordination Committee between Asipona, Customs, government and the private sector , with the objective of establishing formal mechanisms for the resolution of operational problems and the strategic planning of the port.

This measure seeks to institutionalize intersectoral coordination, transforming Copoma into an organization with greater technical capacity and influence in decision-making.

One of the most structural approaches within this proposal is the promotion of logistics modernization through the doubling of rail capacity, the implementation of a transport regulatory center, and the adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain to improve the traceability of operations.

This approach aims to transform the port’s operating model through the use of technology and the diversification of transport modes.

In summary, while Plan 2 proposes solutions aimed at resolving current bottlenecks through the physical organization of access points, the regulation of road transport, and the strengthening of existing operational infrastructure, Plan 1 proposes a transformation based on digitalization, the institutionalization of logistics coordination, and the structural modernization of the port system.

This difference is significant. It reflects two distinct approaches to the port’s future: one focused on resolving immediate operational constraints affecting the daily flow of goods, and the other aimed at transforming port management through technological tools and structural coordination mechanisms.

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El cargo Copoma redefines its internal balance amid operational pressure in Manzanillo apareció primero en T21.

After the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) announced an administrative simplification in federal trucking procedures , published on July 2 in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) , representatives of the sector expressed skepticism about the real impact of these measures.

Although the document proposes merging processes, reducing requirements , and eliminating a formality, industry organizations maintain that the essence of the bureaucracy remains intact.

What appears to be a modernization on paper doesn’t change the dynamics of overcrowded offices, duplicate requirements, and delays that paralyze units in practice.

“What they’re doing is merging procedures just to change their names. They’re no longer saying ‘individual person’ or ‘legal entity’, but now simply saying ‘permission for this,'” said Claudio Gallegos Pérez , vice president of interinstitutional affairs for the National Confederation of Mexican Transporters ( Conatram) .

For him, the announcement remains superficial and does not address the backlogs in the administration of procedures.

“A simple withdrawal should be done overnight. It’s taking at least a week,” he noted, also noting how more complex procedures can be especially slow.

The National Association of Motor Transport Representatives (ANRA) also questioned the measure. Its president, Eucario Reyes Carmona , warned that some points of the agreement even contradict current legislation.

“In some points, what they wrote now doesn’t match what’s written… or what the regulations and the law currently in force require,” Reyes said.

One of the most sensitive issues is the reduction in minimum insurance policy amounts. “Would 800,000 or 900,000 pesos be enough to cover the damages to the 42 people? Right?” Reyes asked, referring to accidents involving passengers.

Added to these legal loopholes are the usual operational problems: lack of supplies, staff shortages, inability to schedule appointments, and the lack of digitalization of key processes.

“Why all this technology?” Claudio Gallegos asked. “Why do you have to be physically entering the country? Do you have to take the risk of carrying original documents?”

The frustration continues: the measure is limited only to issuing permits, without affecting other critical processes such as registrations, connectivity, or renewals.

“This refers solely and exclusively to the issuance of permits. It doesn’t mention registrations. It doesn’t mention any other procedures,” Eucario Reyes insisted.

At the beginning of June, according to Reyes, the number of pending procedures was enormous; the number of  license plate applications alone exceeded 7,800 , more than double the usual average. This means that at least 180 services related to this procedure are put on hold every day  .

The impact not only translates into economic losses, but also into a feeling of helplessness that permeates the entire industry.

While authorities talk about regulatory improvements, system users continue to face waiting days or months to complete a procedure. “The pain is the same. And solutions remain elusive,” Gallegos concluded.

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El cargo Simplification without real effect: The trucking sector doubts the SICT measure apareció primero en T21.

Apparently, the Manzanillo customs office has begun reaching out to port users to address the operational chaos caused by last week’s protests by foreign trade officials.

The National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram) , which primarily represents truck drivers and small and medium-sized trucking lines, issued a statement to its members stating that a meeting was held yesterday, May 19, with port stakeholders and authorities , including the Manzanillo customs office.

“We’ve been told they’re hoping to have up to 20 inspectors to maintain the volumes we had before the emergency, and some are already working, and more will be added in the coming hours and days to reach 20,” Conatram indicated.

There he assured that today (May 20) “we will try to load the 2,700 appointments distributed among all the port terminals (north zone and south zone) and we hope that by Wednesday we will return to the 4,000 that we were loading between Wednesday and Friday.”

According to official data, just over four thousand trucking units enter the port of Manzanillo daily to pick up or unload cargo.

A source close to the Manzanillo customs office, who requested anonymity, told T21 that the inspection authority is currently working with just five inspectors , when on a “normal” day of operation there should be at least 25 inspectors spread out over different hours of the day.

“An inspector typically handles 15 to 20 red notices per day. The problem is that there are many alerts from the Customs Investigation Center, and that entails administrative work because they have to complete the extension reports, in addition to sending emails supporting the alerts. The number of recognitions may not increase, but if the alerts do, it means more work and the same staff,” the source said.

The Manzanillo customs office is the second highest in tax collection in the country, behind only the Nuevo Laredo customs office, which is the largest border crossing for goods with the United States.

Meanwhile, Conatram has also announced that a second meeting will be held on May 23 with authorities and stakeholders from the port of Manzanillo , “to learn about this week’s achievements.”

Customs employees, mostly civilian foreign trade officers, closed access to the port on up to two occasions last week, in protest of alleged poor working conditions and unjustified dismissals since the arrival (April 15) of Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez as head of the Manzanillo customs office.

Foreign trade, in danger

This Tuesday morning, Sergio Contreras, executive president of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , met with the media where he indicated that during the most critical days at the port of Manzanillo, between three and four thousand daily land cargo movements were suspended, causing economic losses estimated at hundreds of millions of pesos per day.

Beyond the direct financial impact, Contreras highlighted the importance of the logistical risk generated by delays in exports and imports, which immediately affected perishable products.

This situation not only compromises the quality of the goods, but also entails contractual penalties , since in many cases the responsibility falls on the exporter.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were particularly vulnerable to this destabilization, as many of them depend directly on the continuous flow of imported inputs and timely fulfillment of their supply chains.

The Comce leader also warned about the bottlenecks generated by the blockages , since the interruption of container movement creates congestion that further complicates operational recovery.

 “When a cargo line is blocked, whether import or export, everything stops. It’s a huge logistical challenge,” he explained.

In this regard, he noted that, although the conflict was addressed in a timely manner, the episode serves as a wake-up call.

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El cargo Manzanillo Customs operates with only five inspectors; losses estimated to be in the millions due to operational chaos. apareció primero en T21.

Last Friday, the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) shared with its partners an agreement with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) , with which a new agreement was reached for the payment of salaries for various jobs in companies in the sector.

“The H. Technical Council of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in its session of February 26, 2025, issued Agreement ACDO.IN2.HCT.260225/53.P.DIR, an agreement reached between the Directorate of Incorporation and Collection of the IMSS and Canacar, in relation to the reference contribution factors, effective as of March 1,” states Canacar Circular 63 of 2025.

In light of this agreement, the president of the National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram) , Elías Dip Rame, sent a letter to his confederates, but with a direct message to the president of Canacar, Miguel Ángel Martínez, regarding the agreement reached between this institution and the IMSS.

“…regarding the factor that will be applied starting March 1, 2025, upon reviewing it I was surprised by the criminal increase in the contribution FACTORS that must be paid on the date indicated by the trailer operator of $1,511.55 per day, when $725.00 pesos were paid, that is, now it will be more than double,” states the Conatram statement.

The letter states that the increase represents more than 100%, which will not only affect Canacar members, but in Elías Dip’s view, will also affect the rest of the auto transport industry.

The leader of Conatram described the complexities faced by transporters and operators such as insecurity, roadblocks and delays on the routes they face, in addition to highlighting that there are different conditions depending on the regions in which the service is provided.

The message addressed to the president of Canacar specifies that the agreement reached must be reviewed again, and that from Elías Dip’s perspective the adjustment to the base contribution salaries should not experience an increase greater than 5%, which would be consistent with inflation.

Among the lines of action that were announced is the one that Conatram will manage in the Congress of the Union to express the need for its intervention, “I want to make it clear that at no time do we intend to not pay what corresponds to us, based on our income, affiliation and collection from the IMSS,” said Elías Dip in his letter.

El cargo Conatram “clashes” with Canacar over agreement reached with IMSS apareció primero en T21.

After the protests carried out on July 29 by the National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram) , agreements were reached with the government of Nuevo León , highlighting advances in communication and security, according to Diego Bolio, Conatram cargo delegate in Jalisco. .

While they were carrying out their protests in Monterrey, the Conatram transporters received a visit from representatives of the Nuevo León government secretariat, who were open to receiving them and reaching agreements . The subsequent meeting was attended by the Secretary General of the Government, Javier Navarro.

According to Bolio, the agreements included:

• Direct and open line of communication with representatives of the government of Nuevo León to immediately resolve any conflict, to avoid abuses and abuses against transporters.
• Participation in a security table , where Conatram representatives will be able to intervene in security decisions and policies that directly affect the sector.
• Investigation and regulation of cranes , on this topic Bolio indicated that an exhaustive investigation into crane companies and a review of procedures to minimize their improper use was agreed upon, given the constant complaints from transporters for minor infractions and subject to excessive fines and unnecessary use of cranes.

In addition, the issue of threats to Diego Bolio by Arturo Garza Murúa , Secretary of Security and Roads of Salinas Victoria, was addressed .

“Navarro told us that he was going to try to speak with the mayor of Salinas Victoria, since the decisions regarding this official are at the municipal level,” Bolio said.

The agreements also included the immediate implementation of these measures and continuous monitoring to ensure compliance.

In that sense, Diego Bolio expressed his satisfaction with the agreements reached. “We have to battle with an authority that, instead of being a facilitator, becomes a rock in our shoe,” he explained.

For the Conatram cargo delegate in Jalisco, the agreements aim to avoid situations in which carriers are unfairly sanctioned for minor infractions or without due process.

The state of Nuevo León is a key piece for the industrial activities of Mexico and has a very close connection with the supply chains of North America. This area of ​​the country generates a high demand for transportation services, as well as logistics.

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El cargo Is it over? Conatram transporters reach agreements with the Nuevo León government: apareció primero en T21.