After the drop at the start of the year, customs revenue in Mexico recovered its pace in March 2026, totaling 115,611.30 million pesos (mdp) in cash flow, a real growth of 3.1% compared to the same month of 2025, according to figures from the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) .

The various sectors also registered positive figures; however, Value Added Tax (VAT) saw a 7.5% drop compared to March of last year, totaling 77,208.5 million pesos, according to data from the Customs Revenue and Operation Dashboard . In contrast, the  Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) totaled 18,715.3 million pesos , a 72.3% year-on-year increase.

Operations increased by 3.8% in the third month of the year compared to the same period in 2025, with 1,917,495 transactions; and customs declarations showed a positive variation of 5.1% compared to the same period last year with 945,159 documents issued.

By customs type, the figures were mixed during March 2026, with maritime customs registering the greatest growth at 10.5% compared to March 2025, collecting 58,518.60 million pesos. Inland customs increased their revenue by 3% year-on-year to 19,503.14 million pesos. In contrast, those on the northern border totaled 37,298.73 million pesos , a drop of 6.8% during the period.

Meanwhile, the country’s main customs offices reported losses in the third month of the year. Veracruz saw a 17% decrease compared to the same period in 2015 , collecting 11,306.20 million pesos; and  Nuevo Laredo contracted by 6.2% with 18,198.63 million pesos. Conversely, Manzanillo reported a slight increase of 1% year-on-year , collecting 15,045.61 million pesos.

In the accumulated period from January to March 2026, the figures were negative compared to the same period in 2025. A total of 323,202.59 million pesos were collected, a real decrease of 7.9% ; VAT reported a contraction of 17.7% with 211,936.2 million pesos; and the IEPS increased by 49.1% with 57,575.8 million pesos.

Meanwhile, operations in the accumulated total for 2026 showed stagnation compared to the same period in 2025 with 5,254,625 transactions; and customs declarations contracted by 1.9% in the period, totaling 2,584,253.

In March 2026, Mexico performed well in its foreign trade, despite persistent geopolitical tensions worldwide, such as the conflict in the Middle East.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) , Mexico’s exports totaled $70.727 billion in March, a 27.7% year-on-year increase. Imports during the same period reached $64.795 billion, a 24.3% increase compared to March 2015, resulting in a trade surplus of $5.932 billion .

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El cargo Customs revenue in Mexico recovers during March apareció primero en T21.

Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) announced that it collected 131,065.64 million pesos (mdp) in cash flow in October 2025 , representing a real increase of 6.6% compared to the same month last year, according to data from the Customs Operation Dashboard

According to the report, the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) showed a 68.1% increase during the tenth month of the year compared to October 2024, totaling 25,446.4 million pesos. In contrast, the Value Added Tax (VAT) contracted by 3.6% , reaching 85,820 million dollars.

Transactions in October 2025 totaled 1,943,797 , an increase of 2% over the same month last year; customs declarations grew 1.7% , with 989,046.

In terms of revenue by customs type, those located on the northern border showed declines in the reference cycle, with a real decrease of 0.6%, registering 39,617.70 million pesos.

Inland customs offices performed positively in October of this year, with a real increase of 10.9% and a cash flow collection of 23,781.68 million pesos; while maritime customs offices grew 10%, with 67,457.75 million pesos.

During the period, Manzanillo collected 16,091.73 million pesos, a real decrease of 20.6%; Veracruz registered 12,407.77 million pesos, representing an increase of 7.6%. Meanwhile, Nuevo Laredo obtained 18,681.11 million pesos, a real decrease of 5.3%.

Cumulative total, with positive figures

During the period January-October 2025, ANAM reported an accumulated cash flow of one trillion 204 billion 841.10 million pesos, a real increase of 16.2% compared to the same period in 2024.

Compared to the same period last year, VAT registered an increase of 10.2%, with 828,769.9 million pesos; while the IEPS showed a growth of 48.6%, totaling 200,418.7 million pesos.

The total number of transactions was 18 million 078 thousand 698, a decrease of 2.3%; and the number of customs declarations totaled nine million 077 thousand 150, a drop of 3.8 percent.

October’s revenue collection showed positive results, even amidst the process of approval and publication of the new Customs Law, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026.

Among the main changes in the new regulations are strengthening oversight and combating tax evasion, which would translate into increased federal revenue . It also seeks to implement new obligations for importers and customs brokers, including the digitization of documents and the electronic transmission of information.

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In August 2025, Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) reported that  116,945.12 million pesos (mdp) were collected , which represented a real increase of just 0.1% compared to the same month in 2024.

According to information from the Customs Operation Board , the  Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) reached 20,359.8 billion pesos , which meant an increase of 42.6%, however, the Value Added Tax (VAT) was 78,694.3 billion pesos , a contraction of 6.8% compared to August of last year.

Meanwhile, transactions and customs clearances reported negative figures . The total number of transactions in August 2025 totaled 1,811,996, a 4.7 percent drop. Import transactions totaled 1,015,348, a 6.5 percent decrease, and export transactions totaled 796,648, a 2.3 percent decrease compared to August 8, 2024.

During the aforementioned period, requests for customs clearances totaled 899,873 , a 6.8% decrease. Import applications were the most affected, with 668,649 applications, representing a 7.6% decrease. Export applications totaled 231,224, a 4.6% decrease.

Regarding revenue collection by type of customs, maritime and inland customs registered increases, while those on the northern border experienced a decline in August 2025. Of the total revenue collected that month, maritime customs reported 60,614.99 billion pesos, a real increase of 2.2%; inland customs collected 19,209.20 billion pesos, a real increase of 3.9%; and those on the northern border totaled 36,916.67 billion pesos, a decrease of 4.7%.

During the cycle, the three customs offices with the highest revenue collections in the country reported declines and stagnation compared to August of last year. Manzanillo was the hardest hit, with a real contraction of 13%, recording 14,901.80 billion pesos; Nuevo Laredo collected 18,011.62 billion pesos, which represented a real decrease of 7.6%; and Veracruz showed no change compared to August 2024, with 12,541.26 billion pesos.

January-August cumulative increases

During the January-August 2025 period, ANAM revealed that an accumulated amount of 953,753.98 billion pesos was collected , a real increase of 18.6% compared to the same period the previous year. VAT increased 13.4%, to 662,487 billion pesos, and the IEPS grew 46%, with 153,493 billion pesos collected.

Meanwhile, the value of merchandise reached 22,734,472 pesos, a 17.2% increase in real terms; meanwhile, the number of accumulated customs clearance applications decreased by 5.2%, with 7,181,124 requests, and transactions fell by 3.4%, with 14,348,723 registrations.

These figures follow the suspension of the 30% general tariff on Mexican products that the United States government was seeking to impose, which was scheduled to begin applying on August 1.

However, although Mexico managed to negotiate a temporary 90-day extension, the international trade environment was impacted by the entry into force of new tariffs on August 7. These tariffs establish a minimum 10% levy for countries that maintain a trade surplus with the United States, with tariffs that can climb to 41%. This has increased uncertainty in global trade flows and could affect Mexico’s customs revenue.

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El cargo Customs revenue in Mexico increases slightly in August apareció primero en T21.

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, GTO.- Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez, head of the Manzanillo customs office , attended the ASTOM Summit 2025 to speak about the strengths and weaknesses of Mexico’s most important port to representatives of port terminals, freight forwarders, operators and shipping companies, delivering a speech full of figures, warnings and future projects . But beyond the technical rhetoric, he revealed a paradox that directly affects foreign trade: in Manzanillo, the costs of inefficiency are being paid by the just for the sinners.

Torres, who took office in May of this year, acknowledged what he had loudly denied for years: customs has a historical corruption problem . “Yes, we accept that there are opaque acts (…) there has been a high level of corruption in customs,” he confessed. His arrival in office, he said, sought to break with that modus operandi , but the solutions he has imposed have not been without consequences.

The strict inspection policy currently in place in Manzanillo responds to the detection of abusive practices such as the undervaluation of merchandise. “We have found severely undervalued containers,” he said. The result: more detained containers, more alerts, and more paperwork that clogs up the yards.

Added to this equation is a statistic that illustrates the magnitude of the problem: up to 300 units are subject to customs inspection every day , a disproportionate burden on the available infrastructure and the few inspectors on duty. The immediate effect is the saturation of yards and esplanades, where carriers must wait hours—if not days—for their goods to be inspected.

However, the measure indiscriminately affects all users. Compliant companies have had to face delays, extraordinary costs, and operating losses. As the captain himself acknowledged, “the innocent pay for the guilty ,” since the collective sanctions do not distinguish between tax evaders and those who fully comply with the tax authorities.

What he didn’t say: the blockades of the customs office itself

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During July 2025, the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) reported that 124,877.92 million pesos (mdp) were collected , which represented an increase in real terms of 13.4% compared to the same month in 2024. This increase occurred in the context of the 90-day bilateral agreement to suspend the application of a general 30% tariff on Mexican products exported to the United States.

Among the three customs offices with the highest revenue collection in the country, Nuevo Laredo was the only one to register positive figures, with 18.42 billion pesos , a real increase of 3.1 percent. In contrast, Manzanillo saw a 3.2% drop, collecting 16.06 billion pesos, while Veracruz saw a 12.7% drop, collecting 11.17 billion pesos.

According to the  Customs Operations Dashboard , ANAM indicated that last July, the total Value Added Tax (VAT) collected was 84.75 billion pesos , reflecting a 6.6 percent increase. Meanwhile, the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) reached 22.047 billion pesos , an increase of 55.6 percent.

Despite the strong fiscal performance, a slight 0.3% drop was observed in the total number of transactions in July, which totaled 1,875,275 . Imports fell 2%, with 1,056,437 transactions; while exports increased 2%, with 818,838 transactions. The total value was 2,924,183 pesos, a 9% increase compared to July 2024.

During the period, requests for customs fell 2.9% to 961,850 , with imports suffering the greatest impact, falling 4.4% to 710,773. Exports, on the other hand, grew 1.8% to 251,077.

Of the total revenue collected in July 2025,  65,873.85 billion pesos were collected by maritime customs, a real increase of 17.4% compared to the seventh month of 2024; followed by those on the northern border, with 39,239.79 billion pesos , a 9.3% increase in real terms; while inland customs collected 19,531.52 billion pesos , an increase of 9.1%.

During the January-July 2025 period, ANAM revealed that cash flow revenues totaled 836,808.86 billion pesos , representing a real increase of 21.8% compared to the same period last year. VAT during that period was 583,792.7 billion pesos , an annual increase of 16.8%; while the IEPS tax reached 133,133.2 billion pesos , an increase of 46.6%.

Meanwhile, the value of merchandise reached 19,942,435 pesos, a 20.6% increase in real terms; meanwhile, the number of accumulated customs clearance applications decreased by 4.9%, with 6,281,251 requests; and transactions fell by 3.2%, with 12,536,727 registrations.

According to analysts, the upcoming revision of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be complex due to the protectionist economic policy promoted by the United States, which has triggered a tariff war with several countries around the world, including its main trading partners in North America: Mexico and Canada, on whom it has imposed tariffs on various products, such as steel and aluminum, which could affect the country’s customs revenue.

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The Mexican Pacific port scene is under unprecedented pressure. Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas, the main gateways for foreign trade along this coast, are the center of the tensions that define Mexican logistics today: accelerated import growth, overwhelmed infrastructure, collapsed customs offices, distrust of railroads, and rising land transportation costs.

At the panel “Challenges for the Ports of the Mexican Pacific,” held as part of the Visiones 2025 event celebrating Intercom ‘s 35th anniversary , representatives from shipping companies, terminals, and the railway sector agreed on a common diagnosis: private investment is accelerating, but the system remains fragmented . And this lack of synchronization threatens to turn the region’s potential into a new bottleneck for national logistics.

Recurring headaches

The tone was set by Torsten Nolting, vice president of Hapag-Lloyd Mexico, one of the leading shipping lines with calls at Pacific ports. “We have many challenges in Mexico, in logistics, there’s a headache every day, but we’re getting used to it. And that’s bad; we have to change things.”

Nolting explained that in 2025, maritime trade faces a double blow: a drop in imports from Asia and, at the same time, a growing gap in national infrastructure. Customs, he said, is the biggest bottleneck: “Especially in Manzanillo, due to problems with foreign trade officials… in May and June, cargo couldn’t leave on time; there were appointments that lasted days or weeks.”

The German-born executive referred to the blockade carried out by customs officials themselves in mid-May of this year, due to alleged poor working conditions, which caused an operational collapse that lasted several weeks , as more than 100 officials were removed from their posts and there was not enough staff to handle the merchandise.

The impact also had a direct impact on land transportation. Although there are enough trucks, many remain stopped inside and outside the port: “The poor trucker loses at least two, three, or four shipments a month, and we all bear the costs,” according to Nolting.

Inefficiency isn’t limited to Mexico. Nolting noted that Asian ports are also saturated: in Shanghai, ships wait two days, in Ningbo three, and in Busan up to five. This delay at origin translates into three or four weeks of backlog in Mexico, which is exacerbated by slow customs and more frequent inspection processes disguised as pro-security rhetoric, but which have also served to increase tax revenue.

Manzanillo: growth as a problem

José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo , contextualized the magnitude of the challenge: “From 2021 to 2024, the growth in imported containers has been 70 percent. It’s difficult to sustain this with the infrastructure capacity , not only at the terminals, but also at customs, access points, and personnel availability.”

The expansion of Contecon’s specialized container terminal—which will be completed in 2026—aims to alleviate the pressure, but Contreras warned that private investment is insufficient without a parallel effort from the state. “We need the Mexican government to invest in port access, roads, and security. Terminals aren’t built in three months, nor do we have 500 people to hire in two days.”

The executive also called for an end to the culture of finger-pointing. “All the problems experienced at the port of Manzanillo are the fault of the entire system . It’s extremely complex, and we all have to accept these inefficiencies.”

Lázaro Cárdenas: The train as a wasted option

If Manzanillo suffers from overload, Lázaro Cárdenas faces another dilemma: its rail infrastructure is underutilized. According to Adriana Covarrubias, Intermodal Sales Manager at CPKC de México , there is a misperception of backlog. “Today, we have around 20 kilometers of rail track within the port, of which 12 or 13 are used for intermodal platforms. The infrastructure exists, but coordination is lacking ,” according to the executive.

He also emphasized that only 20% of imported cargo moves by train , while 80% is transported by truck: “If you transport cargo by truck, you create the bottleneck yourself.” To reverse this trend, Covarrubias emphasized the need for advance planning: synchronizing ships, customs, terminals, railroads, and trucking before the cargo reaches the port.

Private expansions vs. public lags

Along the same lines, Abraham Jiménez, manager of Intermodal Commercial Services at Hutchison Ports Mexico , emphasized that the terminals have aggressively invested in capacity. “ At Lázaro Cárdenas, we are expanding docks to accommodate four state-of-the-art vessels simultaneously , covering nearly a kilometer and a half of dock in a straight line,” he stated.

However, he acknowledged that the rail blockades of past years left scars. “Customers take time to trust returning to the train, and that forces us to reconfigure the terminal to evacuate more cargo by truck,” he stated. This reconfiguration entails new investments, but also higher costs.

Jiménez defended the role of the Hidalgo Intermodal Logistics Terminal (TILH) , developed by Hutchison Ports México as a satellite to relieve congestion in Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas, but insisted that the key lies in coordination . “What we need is to communicate more closely and find joint solutions. And we urge our authorities to grow at the same pace as the private sector,” he stated.

The APM mirror

John Sánchez, commercial director of APM Terminals Lázaro Cárdenas , offered a complementary perspective. “All port terminals in the Pacific are in the process of investing or implementing new projects. That means real capacity, but it’s useless if it’s not accompanied by more agile customs and coordinated processes ,” he said during his participation in the panel.

APM will double its operating capacity from 1.2 to 2.2 million TEUs (20-foot containers) by 2026. However, Sánchez warned that infrastructure alone will not solve inefficiencies if regulatory processes remain slow and fragmented.

Grow without collapsing

The outlook outlined by the five executives confirms a paradox: Mexico is expanding its port and rail infrastructure at an accelerated pace , but the lack of inter-institutional coordination is neutralizing much of these efforts.

The Mexican Pacific logistics system operates like a disjointed puzzle. Shipping companies, terminals, and railroads invest in capacity, but without support in customs, access, and public policies, the result is fragmentation: rising costs, unpredictable delivery times, and user distrust.

The expectation is clear: Pacific ports will continue to receive more merchandise, primarily imported from Asia. To address this scenario , sufficient infrastructure, modernized customs offices with technology and trained personnel , and comprehensive logistics planning that synchronizes the different links in the chain are required.

Only in this way will Mexico be able to transform its Pacific ports into true engines of competitiveness and not the bottlenecks that currently hinder foreign trade .

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El cargo Pacific ports in Mexico: the challenge of growing without collapsing apareció primero en T21.

MANZANILLO, COL.- The customs office at Mexico’s main container port says it has found a way to overcome the operational chaos caused by the blockades carried out by its own employees in mid-May, which continues to persist two months later.

T21 visited the port of Manzanillo yesterday, invited by the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) , to learn about the work the customs office has done to improve the flow of goods along its fiscal route.

In response to a specific question from this reporter, General Corps Commander Luis Ángel Martínez Cabrera, deputy director of Customs Operations at the Manzanillo customs office, explained to the media group that attended the visit that the reasons that led foreign trade officials to carry out the “illegal closures” of the port are still unknown .

But they “assume” that part of their discomfort was due to two main factors. The first is the changes in leadership that occurred after Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez took over as head of the Manzanillo customs office in mid-April of this year.

Martínez Cabrera stated that some customs personnel refused to surrender their posts , which led to the first protest and closure on May 12. “They weren’t going to be fired, but rather relocated wherever customs requested,” he stated.

The second factor, he continued, was the request from the “central area” for the dismissal of four people who arrived during those days, for reasons that are still unknown or if there is a judicial investigation into the matter, generating even more annoyance and indignation among foreign trade officials, who in a second demonstration blocked all access to the port for two days (May 14 and 15).

The Deputy Director of Customs Operations confirmed that following the blockades, just over 70 foreign trade officials “abandoned their jobs .” This caused a significant delay in the customs clearance operations that were able to be carried out.

In fact, attendance at appointments granted for the pickup or delivery of goods for trucking units in the following days fell to record lows at the port.

On May 17, 2,802 appointments were granted, of which only 1% were fulfilled ; on the 18th, there were 257 appointments with 10% compliance, and on the 19th, there were 2,896 appointments, of which only 12% were completed, according to the document Statistics on customs clearance operations of the MCE, April-May 2025 , from the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) , of which T21 has a copy.

Faced with the departure of just over 70 employees, the response was to assign staff from the same customs office to essential activities. Furthermore, the flow of vehicles wishing to enter was coordinated with the National Port System Administration (Asipona) in Manzanillo , which was reduced by up to 50% . Meanwhile, ANAM assigned staff from other customs offices in the country to Manzanillo to assist in relieving the workload.

Luis Ángel Martínez confirmed to this outlet that they have currently hired 40 new officers and that all remaining positions are expected to be filled in the coming weeks.

The three days of closures at the port of Manzanillo created a profound imbalance between the number of goods entering (exports) and those leaving (imports).

The Deputy Director of Customs Operations indicated that, to repair the damage, a model has been developed that is “working properly and is intended to be permanent .” The official referred to more precise and stricter regulation of appointments.

“Before the closure, 4,500 vehicles were handled daily by appointment, but in the end, only 2,800 to 2,900 vehicles were served, and the rest didn’t enter and caused congestion outside (the port). Terminals were asked to provide their actual operating capacity, indicating how much they can handle per hour, and appointments are being issued based on that,” he described.

He also stated that in recent days, up to 3,100 vehicles have been served in 1.5 hours , up from the three hours previously allowed for appointments. “This means there is no longer overcrowding outside and there is a positive flow in and out,” he stated.

According to the Average Port Transportation Time Index (ITPAP) , conducted by T21 Business Intelligence, the port of Manzanillo averaged up to 11.6 decimal hours last May in the time taken by a transportation unit to collect imported merchandise, measured in three stages: waiting, maneuvering, and customs.

Depressed statistics

For the first six months of this year, the port of Manzanillo has accumulated the operation of 15,491,564 tons of merchandise (including petroleum products), representing a 9.7% drop compared to the same period last year, according to statistics from Asipona Manzanillo.

Likewise, container handling totaled 1,884,028 TEUs (20-foot containers) during the first half of 2025, a 2.7% decrease measured at an annual rate.

The impact of the closures is also evident in the tax sector . ANAM data indicates that, during May of this year, the Manzanillo customs office, the second largest generator of tax revenue, collected 13,921.72 million pesos in cash flow collections (which does not include virtual payment methods and Special Certificates), achieving a real variation (which excludes inflationary effects) of 5.1% annually.

However, within this amount, there are decreases in the payment of taxes such as the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS), the General Import Tax (IGI) and the Tax on New Automobiles (ISAN) .

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El cargo Manzanillo customs exonerates itself apareció primero en T21.

In extreme situations, extreme measures are required. Contecon Manzanillo distributed a statement this Thursday stating that, together with the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) , they will activate extended 24-hour operations at the Manzanillo customs office for three days to “address peak demand.”

The measure comes a month after Manzanillo customs personnel closed the port’s entrances during the week of May 12-16 in protest of poor working conditions and unjustified dismissals, causing operational chaos that has yet to be resolved.

This situation has caused unprecedented delays in the port’s import and export activities, primarily affecting trucking operations. There have even been cases of vessels being diverted to other Mexican ports , as in the case of the MV MSC NOA ARIELA 0513 WB, which was scheduled to stop at the Contecon Manzanillo and SSA terminals and had to unload its cargo at the port of Lázaro Cárdenas due to “lack of berths at both terminals,” according to a statement shared by the ONE shipping company the day before.

According to a statement from Contecon Manzanillo, the extraordinary extension of opening hours will be implemented in the highway modulation area of ​​the Manzanillo North Zone Customs Office.

The measure applies from Thursday, June 12 to Saturday, June 14, 2025, with the following hours:

• Thursday, June 12: 24 hours.
• Friday, June 13: 24 hours.
• Saturday, June 14: from midnight to 9:00 p.m.

“This adjustment facilitates continuous operations for almost three days and represents a strategic step to streamline the clearance of imported goods, reduce logistical bottlenecks, and respond to the growing demand for foreign trade flowing through the port of Manzanillo,” according to a statement from Contecon Manzanillo.

Contecon Manzanillo and SSA are the main specialized container terminals in the port of Colima, considered the busiest commercial port on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

In the first four months of this year, the port of Manzanillo handled a total of 1,291,721 20-foot containers (TEU) in import and export activities , just 1.5% more than the same period last year, according to statistics from the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Manzanillo.

“At Contecon Manzanillo, we recognize that these types of collaborative actions with customs authorities like ANAM are essential to boosting the competitiveness of the port and the country. This extended schedule is part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening trade facilitation processes, especially during peak demand periods,” said José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo, quoted in the statement.

It was also specified that customs inspections during this extraordinary period will be coordinated with the Manzanillo Customs Office and inspected directly at Contecon facilities , “for the benefit of traceability and operational efficiency.”

Earlier this month, ANAM, led by Rafael Marín Mollinedo , held a meeting with the business and logistics sectors to present the work carried out to resolve the operational problem that arose at the port of Manzanillo.

However, the port of Manzanillo continues to experience delays and logistical disruptions for users.

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El cargo Manzanillo Customs will operate 24 hours a day for 3 days. apareció primero en T21.

Finally. After just over three weeks of chaos at the port of Manzanillo, Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) held a meeting with the business and logistics sectors to present the work carried out to resolve the operational problem that arose at the country’s main maritime hub in the Pacific, following protests by customs workers themselves.

According to information shared with T21 by various members of the meeting—held on June 2—it was indicated that ANAM, led by Rafael Marín Mollinedo , has provided personnel from central areas (deputy directors, directors, and department heads) to assist with customs inspections in Manzanillo.

Workers at the Manzanillo customs office demonstrated twice in mid-May, paralyzing the entry and exit of transport vehicles from the port in protest of poor working conditions and unjustified dismissals since Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez took over the customs office a month earlier.

Just over four thousand units enter the port of Manzanillo daily, so the protests caused significant delays in the import and export of goods .

It wasn’t until Wednesday, June 4th that SSA Marine Mexico‘s specialized container terminal was able to breathe. “Operations are back to normal. Therefore, we have resumed the usual number of available appointments,” the American company stated in a statement to its customers.

At the meeting held by ANAM with the business leaders, it was also noted that measures have been implemented to improve the port’s operations. For example, access codes to the customs inspection system are being resolved for verification personnel ; merchandise clearances under consultation status are being released more quickly; efforts are being made to make better use of appointment times for Mondays and Tuesdays of each week; and appointments are being fully capacitated at the inspected facilities.

Likewise, the open-door option for empty vehicles will remain in place , and operations will be carried out with ZBV scanning, a vehicle cargo inspection unit, and the modulation schedule will continue from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. upon departure from the controlled areas.

In addition, ANAM agreed to provide an organizational chart to show how the different areas of the Manzanillo customs office were integrated.

In addition to Rafael Marín Mollinedo, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) , the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) and the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (Caaarem) .

A couple of days before the meeting, Canacar itself, through its president Miguel Ángel Martínez, had stated that the sector was on the verge of bankruptcy due to non-payments to leasing companies, insurance companies, suppliers, and staff.

Based on statistics from the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) , an office of the Ministry of the Navy , in the accumulated January-April 2025, a total of one million 291 thousand 720 containers (TEU) have been operated in the port of Manzanillo , a growth of just 1.5% compared to the same period in 2024, and we will have to wait for the results of May with these situations that have been faced.

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El cargo ANAM meets with business leaders regarding the crisis at the Port of Manzanillo apareció primero en T21.

Two weeks of complications have passed at the port of Manzanillo, motivated by protests by customs personnel and civilian foreign trade officials , who argue that they are suffering from poor working conditions and unjustified dismissals since the arrival (April 15) of Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez as head of the Manzanillo customs office.

This situation has led to congestion in all spaces at the Port of Manzanillo , the most important in the National Port System, both in terms of containers and total tons handled.

Based on data from the port facility, four thousand units carry out loading and unloading activities every day , so each day of delay exponentially affects the impact on trucking units.

Faced with this situation, last Saturday Miguel Ángel Martínez, president of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) , expressed through his X account: “we are on the verge of bankruptcy, due to these paralyzed days, we have already defaulted on payments to leasing companies, insurers, payments to suppliers and even payments to our staff.”

The president of the organization expressed concern about the situation being faced, especially in a logistics hub such as the port of Manzanillo .

“Thousands of containers and cargo are being held up and experiencing critical delays; yards are completely overwhelmed, and customs inspections often exceed 72 hours per unit, without the minimum care and health conditions for our operators,” said the transport entrepreneur.

Based on statistics from the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) regarding Mexican ports, in the accumulated period January – April 2025, a total of one million 291 thousand 720 containers (TEU) have been operated in the port of Manzanillo , this is a meager growth of just 1.5% compared to the same period in 2024 , and we will have to wait for the results of May with these situations that have been faced.

“From Canacar, we strongly and firmly call on federal, customs, port, and state authorities to immediately establish a crisis committee and implement immediate, effective, and coordinated solutions to restore the flow of logistics in Manzanillo,” stated Miguel Ángel Martínez.

The businessman who heads the transportation union emphasized that the collapse facing this port cannot be allowed. “The country’s economic development demands efficient infrastructure, streamlined processes, and decent conditions for those who transport goods to Mexico: us truck drivers,” he said.

As T21 reported, various transport groups called for a halt to the shipment of import vehicles to the southern area of ​​the port of Manzanillo this Monday, June 2, from midnight to 7:00 p.m. , as a measure to ease congestion in the area.

Among the organizations promoting this measure are the Manzanillo Freight Transport Union (UTCM) , the  Manzanillo Local Transport Business Union , the  National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram) , and Canacar.

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El cargo “We are on the verge of bankruptcy”: Miguel Ángel Martínez, regarding the situation at the port of Manzanillo apareció primero en T21.