Shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have filed a direct complaint with Mexican customs authorities—specifically the Lázaro Cárdenas port customs office—demanding greater efficiency in transshipment container inspections , given the increased dwell times that are already causing operational inefficiencies and risks to the continuity of their projects and services.

During the 14th Lázaro Cárdenas Port Community Business Meeting , Lidia Linares, Operations Manager for Maersk in Mexico, raised a concern that, she warned, has become widespread across the entire shipping industry operating in the Michoacán port, the second most important for container handling on the Mexican Pacific coast. “Not only Maersk, but all the shipping lines that operate there have had some complicated situations regarding cargo inspections by customs (…) what worries us is the lack of close or structured coordination and communication,” she stated.

The director clarified that the issue is not the authority’s power to inspect cargo , but rather the lack of predictability and certainty regarding the timelines. “No one is saying there shouldn’t be inspections (…) but we are concerned about cargo being held up for extended periods during inspection,” she stated, while emphasizing that the limited feedback—in an environment involving multiple authorities, including the Mexican Navy —ultimately complicates operational management.

In a subsequent interview with specialized media, Linares put the impact into concrete figures: currently, Maersk is facing an average of 300 transshipment containers held up for inspection in Lázaro Cárdenas, with no indication of when they will be released. “They aren’t being loaded (onto the ships) because they are still being held up,” he explained.

The effect on the logistics chain is immediate. Linares explained that each container can remain at the terminal for up to 15 days , well above a healthy operating standard of eight days—with seven days of free storage according to Mexican law—resulting in lost maritime connections and additional costs. “Ultimately, you lose the transshipment, and after 15 days, storage fees begin, and this impacts the customer,” he emphasized, stressing the need for greater traceability and clarity in the processes.

This observation carries greater weight in a context where transshipment already represents 51% of the port’s operations—an activity that has shown a growing trend in recent years—and is a central part of Maersk’s growth strategy in Mexico. The company is evaluating increasing these operations in Lázaro Cárdenas, leveraging the expansion of the APM Terminals terminal (part of the Maersk Group) and the port’s potential as a regional hub , with connections to the US East Coast—via routes using the Panama Canal—as well as to Central and South America. However, Linares cautioned that this development depends on efficiency throughout the entire supply chain.

On that same front, the executive highlighted the importance of the Gemini alliance with Hapag-Lloyd—the world’s fifth-largest shipping company—designed to offer high levels of schedule reliability. “We’re at over 80% and almost 90% schedule reliability ,” she stated, although she acknowledged that this operational precision is compromised when containers are held up without certainty regarding inspection times.

From the same perspective, Roberto Morales, senior cargo operations manager at Hapag-Lloyd, supported the diagnosis and expanded on the scope of the problem . “It doesn’t just affect one shipping line; it affects all the shipping lines that dock in Lázaro Cárdenas. It’s the high volume of containers that customs is inspecting,” he stated.

Morales insisted that the industry does not object to the inspections themselves, but it does question their execution. “They could inspect 100% of the containers, if they had the capacity, but in a very efficient system,” he pointed out. The reality, however, is far from that scenario: “We have a lot of cargo that sits idle for 10, 20, 30 days , and that doesn’t exactly speak to an efficient system in a Mexican port.”

In response to these concerns, Heliodoro Álvarez, general director of the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) , who was also present at the business meeting, acknowledged that it is a persistent problem, although he noted that it is addressed through the port’s various operational committees . “All the issues and problems that arise are brought to the table,” he stated, adding that customs authorities also participate in these meetings (the same authorities that did not participate in the Lázaro Cárdenas port community event held the previous day in Mexico City).

The official emphasized that customs operates under independent federal guidelines, which limits local agency’s room for maneuver. However, he assured that they are following up on cases reported by shipping companies and agents to “unblock and expedite the process ,” although he admitted that “it has been complicated” and that progress has been gradual.

Álvarez added that, at the federal level, efforts are underway to strengthen customs operations—including plans to extend the operating hours of the Lázaro Cárdenas customs office to closer to 24 hours —as well as infrastructure investments to expand inspection lanes at the port. “I know the problem is ongoing, but we haven’t given up,” he stated.

However, the contrast between the pace of institutional solutions and the operational urgency of shipping companies reveals a structural tension: while the port of Lázaro Cárdenas is accelerating investments to consolidate itself as a regional logistics hub , the efficiency of its customs link continues to lag behind the demands of global trade. At this critical juncture—where infrastructure, regulation, and execution converge—not only is the fluidity of transshipments at stake, but also the port’s credibility as a competitive platform compared to other Pacific nodes .

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El cargo Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd complain: Lázaro Cárdenas customs stops transshipments apareció primero en T21.

The Port of Lázaro Cárdenas is at a crucial stage. While the customs authority has tightened cargo inspections—which lengthens clearance times and increases pressure on importers and exporters—the port community and the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) are promoting investments that seek to transform the port into a strategic hub for Mexico’s supply chains.

“Today, the entire process for importing goods through the port takes an average of eight hours,” Alfredo Huesca, spokesperson for the Lázaro Cárdenas Port Community , acknowledged at a press conference . The figure is revealing: while it represents an improvement compared to the delays of up to 12 hours seen in recent years, it reflects that the port’s efficiency is dependent on centralized federal processes rather than its operational capacity.

The eight hours that Huesca mentions are not so far from those reported for this port by the Average Port Transport Time Index (ITPAP) , prepared by T21 Business Intelligence , although for July of this year it stood at just over 10 hours , which suggests that bottlenecks may have returned.

The port community spokesperson stated that each of the more than three thousand vehicle units entering the port is equipped with a GPS tracking device to measure the time taken for the process.

A consolidated port community

The Lázaro Cárdenas Port Community was established more than a decade ago (November 27, 2013) with the goal of coordinating public and private stakeholders within the area . “We meet periodically to seek joint solutions,” Huesca stated. This community includes concessionaires, customs agencies, transporters, railroads, importers and exporters, the Harbor Master’s Office, the port and customs authorities, among others.

The initiative was consolidated at the time as the first registered trademark of a port community in Mexico. Since then, the coordination has made it possible to address common challenges, from process efficiency to promoting the port at trade shows and business meetings.

Structural advantages and room for growth

Unlike other Mexican ports surrounded by cities, Lázaro Cárdenas is recognized as a young, planned port with competitive advantages such as deep navigation channels (19 meters) , a remote location from the urban area, a logistics center for trucking (ASLA) that avoids internal congestion, and 97 kilometers of railroad tracks within the port.

Expansion capacity is another of its distinguishing features. “It’s the only port with more than 1,100 hectares available for new businesses, double what other facilities in the Pacific offer,” Huesca noted.

Diversification of loads

Lázaro Cárdenas is not just a container port. Its 23 berths, 15 concessionaires, and 13 terminals handle the movement of automobiles, bulk cargo, minerals, petroleum fluids, agricultural cargo, steel, and coal. Multinational companies such as Hutchison Ports , APM Terminals , SSA Marine México , ArcelorMittal , Pemex , and CFE are among the main operators.

For the first seven months of this year, the port has accumulated the handling of 16 million 456 thousand 551 tons of cargo , a drop of 7.6% compared to the figure for the same period in 2024 caused by the decline in the handling of mineral bulk, according to information from the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) , an office belonging to the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) .

When it comes to container handling, the story is different . Between January and July 2025, a total of 1,484,473 20-foot containers (TEUs) were handled, a measure of maritime standardization, representing a 10% annual growth rate.

Not to mention the movement of new cars, an area in which the port of Lázaro Cárdenas is a national leader. There were 407,897 units (imported and exported) from January to July of this year, 7.5% more than the same period last year.

Intermodal connectivity

Land connectivity is key. The port is connected by road to the country’s consumer centers, with 75% of the merchandise brought in by this mode. However, its greatest challenge has been to recover the rail traffic it once had (today, it accounts for barely 25% of all merchandise brought into the country) through Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) .

But in its struggle, the train is gaining ground . This mode of transportation, in the domestic market, serves destinations such as Pantaco (with 31% of the total), TILH (20%), Salinas Victoria (18%), Cuautitlán (18%), Querétaro, and Puerta México (6%).

“The railway’s effectiveness is 99.98%, with three years without blockades or vandalism. This has been crucial in restoring confidence,” Huesca emphasized.

Customs and security: efficiency with greater control

One of the most sensitive areas is customs. Although between 2022 and 2024, this authority has doubled its inspection gates (from three to six) and incorporated X-ray equipment, which provides increasingly clear evidence during inspections, it has also incorporated ZBB infrastructure for inspections along the side of the ship. This is in addition to parallel supervision by the Navy through the Unified Center for Maritime Protection (CUMAR), with inspections that pursue national security alerts.

The effect is contradictory: increased security and revenue, but also increased pressure on time and costs. “Yes, the authorities have significantly increased inspections, but these additional costs are not passed on to the importer or exporter,” Huesca clarified.

Investments: La Palma Island and new customs facilities

The future focus is on infrastructure. The port authority acquired a 608-hectare plot of land on La Palma Island , adjacent to the port complex. 162 hectares of land have already been leased to companies such as Maersk , Amports , and SSA, according to María Agustina Álvarez, commercial manager of Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas.

This acquisition of La Palma Island is part of a broader investment project that, in total, is projected to invest 6.391 billion pesos (mdp) in public investment by 2030. These resources, owned by Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas, will be allocated to the development of La Palma Island (4.041 billion mdp); construction of the southern exit customs office to separate cargo and empty flows (348 million mdp), a peripheral ring road (325 million mdp), alternate roads to avoid port-city conflicts (1.612 billion mdp), modernization of the airfield (140 million mdp), and the expansion of fiscalized yards (144 million mdp).

At the private level, Hutchison Ports and APM Terminals, the two largest operators of specialized container terminals, are currently expanding their yards and docks by more than 40% of their capacity; while SSA and TPP are strengthening their auto and mineral operations.

The road network will be expanded with the expansion of the Siglo XXI Highway, which will offer four lanes from the port to the center of the country by 2027.

An image to be recomposed

Beyond infrastructure and statistics, Lázaro Cárdenas faces an intangible challenge: the perception of insecurity . Rail blockades and violence on highways connecting it to the center of the country have negatively impacted its reputation in the recent past.

“It’s hard work to reverse the effects of these blockages. Confidence is slowly returning, but the process is slow,” admitted María Agustina Álvarez.

A port in transition

In eight years, Lázaro Cárdenas has doubled its operations, and plans to increase its capacity by 40 percent in the next 18 months . Its cohesive port community, supported by robust investment projects, seeks to transform it into a true maritime hub .

However, the port walks a fine line: maintaining efficiency despite increasingly stringent customs inspections while simultaneously convincing users that security and operational issues are a thing of the past.

Today, the port efficiently serves more than eight thousand importers. “We invite you to try it out and see how it works,” Huesca concluded .

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El cargo Lázaro Cárdenas: More reviews, more investments, and the challenge of establishing itself as a maritime hub. apareció primero en T21.

The Lázaro Cárdenas Port Community reported late last week in a statement that cargo being shipped by rail to the Ferrovalle intermodal terminal in Mexico City remains stable and without setbacks .

This confirmation comes after Ferrovalle published a statement on May 5th requesting Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC of Mexico) , the concessionaire of the line that connects both logistics points, to suspend the shipment of goods from the Michoacan port , to avoid further saturation in its terminal due to difficulties “unrelated to the operation” in carrying out customs clearance.

El cargo Cargo flow between the port of Lázaro Cárdenas and Ferrovalle remains stable. apareció primero en T21.

The main private investment projects for the port of Lázaro Cárdenas , the second busiest on Mexico’s Pacific coast, total $542 million and are in response to the growing volume of ships arriving from Asia.

Among the projects under construction is the expansion of the specialized container terminals operated by Hutchison Ports and APM Terminals , with an investment of $350 million and $165 million, respectively, which is expected to increase operational capacity and improve cargo transit times at the container terminals.

Hutchison Ports will begin its third phase of expansion in 2025, which will involve the development of an additional 28 hectares and the addition of new specialized equipment to increase operational efficiency.

APM Terminals launched its world-first Simultaneous Transshipment Connection operation , which optimizes port operations and reduces vessel laytime. This is part of the Gemini Cooperation, a collaboration between two major shipping companies that positions the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas as a regional logistics hub.

Terminales Portuarias del Pacífico (TPP) , a bulk mineral and steel products terminal, will invest 544 million pesos (27 million dollars) in the construction of eight storage tanks with a total capacity of 475,000 barrels, in response to growing demand from the energy sector.

Likewise, SSA Marine Mexico , the first automotive terminal in the country, will expand its infrastructure by 36,616.32 square meters, ensuring 1,700 additional spaces and increasing its dynamic capacity.

In addition, the construction of the external yard on La Palma Island will be completed in June of this year . It will cover 10.5 hectares and hold 4,918 vehicles, strengthening the vehicle storage and distribution capacity.

“Collaboration between authorities, operators, shipping lines, and associations is key to improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas. Investments in infrastructure and technology, along with efforts to streamline operations and optimize logistics costs, reinforce our commitment to the port’s growth,” said Admiral Heliodoro Álvarez, Director General of the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) and President of the Port Community Outreach Subcommittee.

Regarding rail freight, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) of Mexico optimized two new rail routes to increase cargo handled through the port of Lázaro Cárdenas. A direct connection to the U.S. Midwest allows transit time to Chicago in just eight days, and a route to Texas reduces shipping times from Asia to Dallas, avoiding congestion on the East Coast and the Panama Canal.

“Technology is key to improving the sector’s efficiency and productivity. There are and will be more growth opportunities in Mexico, so it is essential to move forward together to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by global trade,” said César A. Jiménez Flores, president of Ternium México, during his keynote address at the opening of the Business Meeting held in Monterrey, Nuevo León.

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El cargo Investment projects in the port of Lázaro Cárdenas total $542 million. apareció primero en T21.