According to statistics from the National Port System of the  Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) , in March 2026 the movement of vehicles through Mexican ports fell by 3.5% compared to the same month in 2025 with 184,829 units, thus failing to recover from the decrease recorded last February, when it fell 20.9% year-on-year.

Although some ports reported declines in car traffic in the third month of the year, the port of Veracruz showed a 33.2% increase compared to March 2025, handling 82,185 units. Tuxpan, also in Veracruz, saw a 15.8% increase, with 3,804 units moved during the period, according to an analysis by T21 Business Intelligence .

In contrast, the port of Mazatlán, in Sinaloa, handled 8,778 units in March 2026, 46.6% less than in the third month of 2025 ; Altamira, in Tamaulipas, fell 27.1% with 38,149 vehicles moved; while the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, in Michoacán, declined 8.6% with the movement of 51,913 units in the reference period.

The negative figures recorded by several ports impacted the cumulative total for January-March 2026. The first quarter of the year saw a 4% contraction compared to the same period in 2025, with 441,765 vehicles handled . During the period, the port of Veracruz was the only one with positive numbers, reporting a 22.3% year-on-year increase with 171,598 units handled.

Conversely, Tuxpan saw a 24.7% drop in the cumulative total for the first three months of 2026 compared to the same period last year , with 6,637 vehicles moved. Altamira declined 19.1% with 89,461 units; and Lázaro Cárdenas decreased by 16%, moving 133,427 cars.

Meanwhile, Mazatlán experienced a slight contraction of 0.5% in the accumulated January-March 2026 period compared to the same period in 2025, operating 40,642 units.

Regarding participation in March 2026, Veracruz accounted for  44% of vehicles mobilized ; Lázaro Cárdenas had 28%, Altamira 21%, Mazatlán 5% and Tuxpan 2%.

Despite the drop in vehicle traffic at the country’s ports in March 2026, car production in Mexico showed improvement during the third month of the year.

According to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) , 343,520 light vehicles were manufactured in March 2026 , representing a 2.5 percent year-on-year increase. Additionally, 310,205 vehicles were exported, a 4.2 percent increase compared to the same month in 2025.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2026, 969,294 units were manufactured in Mexican plants , a 0.5% increase compared to the same period last year. During the January-March period of this year, 795,631 units were exported, a 2.5% increase over the same period in 2025.

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El cargo Vehicle traffic through Mexican ports decreases in March apareció primero en T21.

Mexican ports reported declines during the second month of 2026, moving 720,421 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) , which meant a decrease of 4.9% compared to February 2025, according to figures from the National Port System of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) .

An analysis by  T21 Business Intelligence showed that the vast majority of ports lost TEU movements in February, with the exception of Guaymas (Sonora), which grew by double digits by reporting 61.6%, with 1,317 TEUs moved ; and Coatzacoalcos (Veracruz), which reported a growth of 5.6% with 1,136 TEUs.

In contrast,  Manzanillo, in Colima , accounted for a total of  310,950 TEUs, a slight decrease of 0.6%  compared to the same period in 2025; while Lázaro Cárdenas, in Michoacán, totaled 203,300 TEUs handled  during February, 4% less than in the same period of 2025.

Meanwhile, the port of  Veracruz handled 89,692 TEUs in the second month of the year , a 5.5% drop compared to 2025; and Altamira, in Tamaulipas, which has had three months of negative figures , registered a contraction of 15.6% compared to the same period in 2025, reporting 58,395 TEUs handled .

Despite the negative numbers reported in several ports, the accumulated total for the first two months of 2025 showed an increase of 1.8% compared to the January-February period of 2025 , with 1,518,327 TEUs handled . Guaymas, Sonora, saw double-digit growth of 78.4% , registering 2,903 TEUs; and Lázaro Cárdenas, which increased by 8.3% to 438,403 TEUs, registered the most significant growth.

Regarding participation in the second month of 2026,  Manzanillo accounted for 43.2% of the total TEU movement ; Lázaro Cárdenas had 28.2%, Veracruz 12.4% and Altamira 8.1 percent.

In February 2026, the Mexican economy showed a slowdown, with an annual growth of 1.22% in the Timely Indicator of Economic Activity , according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

The industrial sector contracted by 1.89% compared to the same month in 2025, while services declined by 1.87%. The combination of the contraction in secondary activities and the slower growth in tertiary activities reflected weaker economic activity during the second month of the year, which was reflected in TEU shipments.

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Maritime transport in Mexico begins 2026 under a combination of structural pressure and strategic opportunity that compels the sector to accelerate decision-making. The relocation of supply chains, the energy transition, and the redefinition of trade routes are reshaping the global landscape, and in this context, the country faces a pivotal year to transform these changes into a real logistical advantage, warned José Manuel Urreta Ortega, president of the Mexican Chamber of the Maritime Transport Industry (Cameintram) .

“During 2026, shipping companies face various challenges determined by the transformation imposed by a supply chain relocation economy and the global decarbonization process of the maritime sector,” the business leader explained, emphasizing that these factors not only increase operational complexity but also redefine Mexico’s competitive position in international trade.

One of the most immediate milestones is the completion of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), scheduled for June. For the shipping sector, this project marks a turning point in the country’s interoceanic connectivity. “We hope to position this multimodal logistics platform as a strategic alternative to the Panama Canal for trade between the Atlantic and Pacific,” stated Urreta Ortega, envisioning a scenario in which Mexico ceases to be merely a transit territory and becomes a direct link in maritime and land traffic.

This commitment is complemented by a package of port investments that represents the largest share of public resources allocated for 2026. The modernization of the ports of Altamira, Progreso, Lázaro Cárdenas, and Salina Cruz, along with the expansion of the Port of Veracruz and the development of the New Port of Manzanillo , aims to substantially increase the operational capacity of the port system. “We expect to substantially increase the number of maritime operations, as well as reduce times and costs,” stated the president of Cameintram, making it clear that the impact of these projects will be measured in terms of efficiency and competitiveness, not just physical infrastructure.

However, the sector warns that the challenge is not limited to building or expanding ports. For these investments to translate into tangible results, it will be essential to resolve long-standing issues in security, connectivity, and regulation. “It is necessary to implement actions that allow us to increase security and connectivity in cabotage operations,” noted Urreta Ortega , who emphasized streamlining customs procedures and modernizing the fleet as key conditions for short-sea shipping to gain ground against other modes.

Digitalization emerges as another decisive factor in this equation. According to the shipping leader, terminal automation and the adoption of technologies such as the Internet of Things will improve fleet management and real-time cargo monitoring, at a time when logistical efficiency has become a competitive advantage over other countries also seeking to attract flows derived from nearshoring (relocation of production lines to consumption centers).

All of this is happening in an international environment marked by trade uncertainty. Stricter rules of origin and tariff quotas are coexisting with a reorganization of global supply chains and the opening of new maritime routes. “While there is high trade uncertainty at the global level, the global reorganization of supply chains and the reconfiguration of maritime routes such as those in the Arctic continue to represent significant areas of opportunity,” said Urreta Ortega, who emphasized that the outcome of negotiations with the United States, Canada, and the European Union will be crucial for Mexico’s international standing.

The environmental agenda completes the map of risks and opportunities. The president of Cameintram highlighted that Mexico has the potential to become a regional hub for zero-emission marine fuel supplies, taking advantage of the transition to biofuels, electrofuels, and green hydrogen. “Mexico has the opportunity to position itself as a zero-emission marine fuel supply center in Latin America,” he stated, while reiterating the need to advance on the decarbonization path to comply with global agreements promoted by the International Maritime Organization and avoid operational restrictions and increasing regulatory costs.

With this outlook, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for Mexican maritime transport: one in which the speed with which projects, reforms, and environmental commitments are translated into concrete results will make the difference between taking advantage of the global moment or falling behind in an increasingly intense logistics competition.

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Mexican ports showed positive signs in the period January-November 2025. According to figures from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) , seven million 930 thousand 438 twenty-foot containers (TEU) were handled during that period , which meant a growth of 2.2% compared to the same period in 2024.

However, November 2025 saw a decline in operations, reporting 794,996 TEUs, a 2.8% decrease compared to the same period last year . The most important ports showed mixed results in their November performance compared to the cumulative total for the first 11 months of the year.

An example of this is Manzanillo, Colima, which remained the port with the most movements in November 2025, with a total of 323,989 TEUs , although it showed a decrease of 4% compared to the same month of the previous year.

In the January-November period, the figure was negative. Manzanillo handled 3,547,352 TEUs, a decrease of 1.2% compared to 2014. It’s worth noting that the port has experienced some conflicts this year, such as the workers’ strike last May.

Meanwhile, Lázaro Cárdenas, in Michoacán, totaled 225,911 TEUs moved in November, a growth of 7.9% compared to the same month last year; however, in the accumulated total it moved two million 387 thousand 758 TEUs, a contraction of 1.6% compared to the same period in 2024.

The Port of Veracruz reported 120,849 TEUs handled in the eleventh month of the year, a 4.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024 , although the accumulated total reached 1,197,805 TEUs, a 0.2% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.

Altamira, Tamaulipas, experienced the steepest decline. In November 2025, it closed with 64,610 TEUs, a drop of 15.4% ; while from January to November of this year, it reported the movement of 820,263 TEUs, a decrease of 1.7% compared to the same period in 2024.

Regarding the percentage of movements, during November, Manzanillo accounted for 40.7% of container movement ; Lázaro Cárdenas 28.4%, Veracruz 15.2%, and Altamira 8.12% of the total operations.

The performance of the country’s main ports in 2025 paints a contrasting picture. Overall, they show that, despite national growth of 2.2%, the most important ports face a year of adjustments and a loss of momentum, hence the marginal declines reflected in the cumulative figures.

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In a year-end marked by structural adjustments in the public sector, the Mexican Navy (Semar) took a step that completely reconfigures the country’s maritime and port governance. The afternoon edition of the Official Gazette of the Federation on December 11 published the new Internal Regulations of the Navy, which create the Undersecretariat of Maritime and Port Affairs , a high-level body that—under the command of an admiral—will centralize the management of the National Maritime Authority and the strategic definition of the Mexican port system.

The new design goes beyond administrative restructuring: it consolidates maritime security, port protection, the Merchant Marine, port development, and intergovernmental coordination under a single command structure. Its responsibilities include developing official Mexican standards for marine safety, security, and the environment; defining policies for water transport; coordinating with international organizations and federal agencies; and proposing legal and regulatory reforms to align the regulatory framework with global standards. The Undersecretariat will also determine the jurisdiction and classification of Port Captaincies and will play a direct role in overseeing state-owned enterprises in the sector.

To carry out this wide range of responsibilities, the Undersecretariat will rely on two key administrative units: the National Maritime Authority Unit and the Ports and Merchant Marine Unit , both reorganized with new powers and internal directions.

National Maritime Authority Unit: the operational arm of the maritime authority

The National Maritime Authority Unit —formerly the Port Captaincies and Maritime Affairs Unit, or Unicapam—will be responsible for the daily operations of the Mexican State as the National Maritime Authority. It will manage maritime and port security and protection; safeguard human life at sea; implement international standards; prevent pollution; investigate maritime accidents; conduct fisheries inspections; and manage the Single Digital Window.

This unit will manage the Port Captaincies and will have an active role in audits by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) , search and rescue, and supervision of master port development programs in the area of ​​safety and security.

To perform these functions, it will have three attached general directorates

• General Directorate of Port Captaincies.
• General Directorate of Maritime Protection and Certification.
• General Directorate of Liaison and Maritime Affairs.

These areas will provide technical and operational support for the surveillance, supervision, certification, inspection, and regulatory coordination required for the modernization of the Mexican maritime system.

Ports and Merchant Marine Unit: public policy, port development and sector regulation

The second revamped structure is the Ports and Merchant Marine Unit —formerly the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM)—which will be responsible for leading public policy for the development of the port and merchant marine sector. It will have the authority to coordinate permits and authorizations; enable ports and terminals; regulate maritime services; administer the National Maritime Public Registry; and oversee infrastructure, tariffs, and specialized services such as towing and launch services.

The unit will also promote sustainability strategies, strengthening of cabotage, interaction of the National Port System with other modes of transport and nautical educational training, including the signing of professional titles for graduating personnel.

Its operational structure will consist of three general directorates:

• General Directorate of Ports.
• General Directorate of Merchant Marine.
• General Directorate of Port Development and Administration.

Each of these departments is key to coordinating the strategic planning of the National Port System , updating regulations, supporting the Merchant Marine, and overseeing state-owned port companies. The head of this unit must be a Captain or Chief Engineer of the Mexican Merchant Marine, reinforcing the technical nature of the position.

A redesign without a budget increase… and still no headlines

The decree will come into effect on December 12, and according to the transitional articles, the Navy does not foresee a budget increase to carry out this restructuring , which raises operational questions in a sector that demands high technical specialization and growing international responsibilities.

At the time of publication, the agency had not yet announced the individuals who will head the new Undersecretariat or those who will lead the attached administrative units. Their appointments will be crucial in shaping the course of this institutional transformation, which redefines how Mexico will exercise its maritime authority, manage its port system, and coordinate its Merchant Marine in the face of the sector’s global challenges.

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