The Navy (Semar) , through the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine , reported that it will have a new news space to report on the projects and actions of the National Port System.

“Marítimo-Portuario TV was created out of the need to inform society and support the promotion of maritime culture in Mexico; it seeks to develop in a clear and objective manner everything related to the National Port System, which includes maritime and port issues related to the Port Captaincy and Maritime Affairs Unit (Unicapam), the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) , the Administrations of the National Port System (Asiponas) and the Maritime and Port University of Mexico (UMPM), among others,” the authority indicated through a press release.

He also indicated that citizens and the media will be able to have first-hand information about the National Port System and the entities involved in the maritime and port sector.

The portal https://maritimoportuariotv.com/ will present reports, interviews and capsules that promote the maritime-port culture of Mexico, in addition to an in-depth and updated analysis of the port sector and its relevance to the national economy.

“This will allow us to create an active and committed community through social media strategies, where the media and the audience can interact, share experiences and stay up to date with the latest developments in logistics and foreign trade; and at the same time, we extend a cordial invitation to participate to all maritime society and community who wish to do so,” he said.

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El cargo The Navy launches Maritime-Port TV apareció primero en T21.

The Navy (Semar) announced at the end of last week the appointment of Heliodoro Álvarez Hernández as the new general director of the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Lázaro Cárdenas , replacing Vice Admiral Anselmo Osorio Fraga.

“(…) has an outstanding track record in leading the strategic development of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. His experience and profile meet the requirements established to perform this important task. Furthermore, his suitability for this appointment is guaranteed, as he is not impeded or disqualified from holding positions within the Federal Public Administration,” according to the Semar statement.

The statement, published on the social media of Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas and signed by Semar, only refers to Álvarez Hernández as an “engineer” and does not specify further details about his professional profile.

Just on January 16 of this year, the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) , an office of the Semar, reported the appointment of nine new general directors of other Asiponas , while for Lázaro Cárdenas it was indicated that Anna Hilda Chávez Alemán, who served as the manager of Administration and Finance at the port, was in charge of the General Directorate.

Vice Admiral Anselmo Osorio Fraga , who requested his resignation from his position, had only just been appointed to head the Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas in January 2024.

The port of Lázaro Cárdenas is one of the most dynamic on the Mexican Pacific coast in terms of volume of goods handled and containers operated.

Last year alone, this port handled 31 million 295 thousand 686 tons of goods, which was 14.9% more than the figure from a year earlier, according to CGPMM records.

Regarding the number of container operators, Lázaro Cárdenas closed 2024 with the handling of two million 406 thousand 980 20-foot containers (TEU) , or 28.8% more when compared to the 2023 record.

It should be noted that, in these movements in the general directorates of the ports in charge of the Semar, the appointment is also expected for that of Manzanillo , the main port of the country, in charge of Admiral Mario Alberto Gasque Peña from January 2024.

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El cargo New General Director Appointed for Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas apareció primero en T21.

The downward trend was confirmed and the handling times of the main ports in Mexico for motor transport in December had the best record of 2024.

That is, the Average Time Indicator for Motor Transport in Ports (ITPAP) , prepared by T21 Business Intelligence , showed in the twelfth month of last year an average time of 3 hours, one minute and 50 seconds, which meant a decrease of 9.3% compared to the record of a month before.

This last record is considerable if we take as a reference that the ITPAP reached its maximum in July of the same year , when an average time of 29 hours and 45 minutes was recorded between the analysis ports; from there everything has been downhill.

The indicator, unique in the country, is based on the handling times for import cargo in the ports of Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas, on the Pacific side, and Altamira and Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, or for some improvisers, “Gulf of America.”

These four maritime points handled 66.1% of the total import cargo volume registered by all ports in the country in 2024, which was 130 million 549 thousand 236 tons , according to statistics from the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) , an office of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) .

But if we take as a reference the number of import containers operated, measured in 20-foot containers (TEU), the same four ports handled 90.4% of the total nationwide that was handled last year or three million 859 thousand 965 TEU.

The ITPAP gathers monthly information provided by trucking companies and vehicle tracking companies via GPS; it focuses on the average time spent by tractor-trailers, broken down into three critical categories in the merchandise collection process: maneuvering, waiting, and time in customs.

For December 2024, the indicator took as reference the data of 2,819 motor transport movements in the ports analyzed.

The 3 hours, one minute and 50 seconds that ITPAP averaged in the last month of last year were divided into 29.53% waiting (53 minutes and 42 seconds), 21.25% maneuvering (38 minutes and 39 seconds) and 49.20% customs time (one hour, 29 minutes and 30 seconds) .

The ports observed by ITPAP have taken center stage in the delays experienced by import cargo to reach its destination -read a production line or a consumption center-, evidencing the inefficiencies that still prevail in the Mexican port system , such as lack of capacity in the infrastructure, high administrative or inspection burden on merchandise and even failures in technological systems, especially customs systems.

In an interview given by the head of the CGPMM, captain Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo, which was published in the January 2025 edition of T21 magazine , he refers to the fact that under the new federal administration there will be open doors and willingness to dialogue with the private sector to address the demands or needs that arise to improve operations in the country’s ports. Only time will tell whether he is right or wrong.

In the December 2024 exercise, the port of Manzanillo was the one that showed the shortest time in serving motor transport , with 2.1 decimal hours, followed by Veracruz with 2.7 hours, Altamira with 3.6 hours and finally Lázaro Cárdenas with 4.0 decimal hours.

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The Navy (Semar) reported that the Port Authority and Maritime Affairs Unit (Unicapam) was handed over to the fleet as part of the permanent rotation of staff.

In the presence of civil and naval personnel belonging to this unit, Vice Admiral Javier Torres Claudio received the award from Rear Admiral Javier Mendoza Rosales (as Incidental Chief), with the intervention of Rear Admiral Juan José Ruibal Zepeda, representative of the Internal Control Body of the Semar.

Vice Admiral Javier Torres Claudio was born on February 14, 1966 in Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí. He entered the Heroic Naval Military School on August 1, 1983. He completed postgraduate courses in Naval Command Specialty, master’s degrees in Naval Administration and National Security, and courses in Maritime and Port Protection Officer and Basic Tsunami Theory, among others.

During his professional career he held various commissions on board ships of the Mexican Navy and on land in Naval Commands; in addition to other positions, among which the following stand out: Naval Assistant to the Undersecretary and the Inspector and Comptroller of the Navy; Naval Officer for Maritime and Port Protection in the port of Altamira, Tamaulipas, and in Mazatlán, Sinaloa; Deputy General Director of Harbor Masters at Unicapam; Administrative Vice-Rector for Innovation, Evaluation and Academic Management at the Naval University; General Director of Human Resources; and Deputy General Director of Administrative Control at the Naval Medical Center.

Unicapam is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, controlling and conducting the exercise of the National Maritime Authority in Mexican marine zones, coasts and port areas; as well as directing, coordinating and supervising port captaincies, among other duties, in order to contribute to the development of national maritime interests for the benefit of the maritime community.

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By Osiel Cruz and Enrique Duarte

The Mexican port authority is continuing to push ahead with its project to boost cabotage activity for maritime transport of goods in the country.

In an interview with T21, the General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) , Captain Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo, outlined some of the strategies that will be applied in this new federal administration focused on materializing this project inherited from the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

T21: Mr. Coordinator, during the previous administration, a project was presented to promote short-distance maritime routes and encourage cabotage. In the end, not much progress was made. In that sense, is this a program that will continue in this administration?

Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo: Admiral Secretary [of the Navy] Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, since he took office, has instructed us to work to develop cabotage , which is a priority project that the Navy has had since the previous administration.

I’m going to tell you about the progress, because this is going to take off. We first established internal working groups between the Interoceanic Corridor [of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec] , the Coordination [General of Ports and Merchant Marine], the priority area, which is Unicapam (Port Authority and Maritime Affairs Unit) as well, because we discovered that they have been making efforts separately . We have already met and the Coordination is leading these meetings.

We also had a meeting with Cameintram (Mexican Chamber of the Maritime Transport Industry) , which are the Mexican shipowners, because we want cabotage to be done by Mexican shipowners, with Mexican ships, Mexican crew . But we are also making a collaboration agreement with SAT (Tax Administration Service) to have the information on the Cartas de Porte ( Bills of Lading), which are used by the transporters, to see how the cargo movement is in the country. That will give us information on where to where we can implement cabotage routes in the country to complement land transport.

What advances do we have that are of great interest to Mexican shipowners? We are going to give them preference by modifying the rules of operation of the port , with that they are going to save thousands of dollars from waiting to enter the port. Mexican ships that do cabotage will have preference to enter the port, to the dock, because a ship costs between 15 thousand and 20 thousand dollars a day to be stopped; so in that reduction in the costs of using infrastructure, we are giving discounts of up to 50% for the use of infrastructure, we are already discussing it with the Asiponas (Administrations of the National Port System). I am telling you in advance. It will be a surprise for everyone. Integrated and preferential rates for Mexican shipowners that do cabotage.

We have already identified the path to follow with other authorities, we want to reduce the ISR (Income Tax) for Mexican shipowners (…) it will help a lot to encourage Mexican shipowners to bring ships and Mexican flag carriers, but also, just as the land transport companies did, which credit the IEPS (Special Tax on Production and Services), diesel, we want it to be credited to Mexican shipowners, to the ships.

So with operating rules, cost reduction for infrastructure use and the issue of integrated rates, who wouldn’t want to become Mexican ?

We are going to sit down with the owners of the loads or with the buyers of the load, the sellers, and the buyers of the load, but also with those from Canacar (National Chamber of Cargo Transportation) , those of land transportation, to make routes as if it were multimodal transportation (…), even with rail transportation we are going to hold meetings so that they make commercial agreements , so that all this happens.

A market study was commissioned , financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and we have already received the results. We are sharing them with Mexican shipowners, but they need the other part, the cargo issue.

T21: Coordinator, you mentioned that changes will be established for the operating rules. Do these changes also consider the interaction between customs and ports?

MFGG: It has nothing to do with cabotage because it is national cargo. However, the ports and the internal infrastructure of the ports are designed to receive foreign trade cargo and all the roads that go from the docks converge on a route that is the fiscal route, there is no cabotage route, there are no cabotage routes. What we are looking for is to create cabotage routes , so that they do not mix with the fiscal route, the cabotage route for national cargo (and) the fiscal route for foreign trade cargo.

[The port of] Lázaro Cárdenas is already designed like this. Lázaro Cárdenas has a coastal shipping dock , a coastal shipping route, and they are putting that dock out to tender right now so that they can finish dredging. We all have to do the same, that is why customs says there are no problems with the issue of coastal shipping, because customs is also participating in the working groups and all those details are coming out.

Q21: Are there other elements that are considered in this plan to encourage cabotage?

MFGG: We are close to acquiring the training ship. It is a multipurpose ship that will work on cabotage, short distance maritime transport through a floating contract with some of the interested parties, but the ship will also serve to comply with the study plan of the students of the three nautical schools, as required by the STCW, which is the training agreement for merchant seamen, officers.

The first payment is already being made this month and the delivery time for this new multipurpose ship is six months, so we will launch the training ship in 2025. The good news or the premise is that the resources have already been authorized , the acquisitions committee has already approved it unanimously.

T21: What was the cost?

MFGG: Approximately 13 million dollars. It is a 153-meter-long ship with capacity for 900 20-foot containers. It will have the capacity to accommodate 300 students. It will be self-sustaining, the freight itself will pay for its maintenance. We will not require an additional budget, but the freight itself will be used to pay for the training of the boys, but also for the ship’s docks, maintenance, operating costs and its upkeep.

We invite you to stay tuned for the January 2025 issue of T21 magazine, where other topics discussed in the interview with the head of the CGPMM will be published.

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El cargo CGPMM to Implement Changes to Boost Maritime Cabotage apareció primero en T21.

Maritime cabotage in Mexico has received a new boost with the inauguration of a specially built dock in the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, although this infrastructure project, which was completed over a period of two and a half years, will take even longer to begin operations.

On September 18, federal port authorities and the Michoacan port itself held an event that highlighted, among other things, the completion of the construction works of the coastal pier , where an investment of 590 million pesos was allocated to have a water front of 350 meters in length, an operations yard and a lighting system.

In an interview with T21, Vice Admiral Anselmo Osorio, Director General of the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Lázaro Cárdenas , indicated that the start of operations of the cabotage dock is now linked to an administrative-legal process in which the port authority will launch, at the end of October or beginning of November, a public tender in which interested parties will be able to compete for a contract for partial transfer of rights to offer loading and unloading maneuvering services at the dock.

Osorio Fraga explained that they are currently gathering information from organizations such as the Institute for the Administration and Appraisal of National Assets (Indaabin) , the General Directorate of Ports and the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) , among others, for the development of the public tender. He also indicated that at least five companies have expressed interest in participating in the contest , although he did not reveal their names.

“The potential transferee who is interested must meet a series of requirements in which he must explain to us (…) what the dock is going to be used for, specifically that it can be as a multi-use terminal that includes cabotage, that is, the dock offers the services so that it can operate in it, from mineral bulk, grains, grain cargo, the same containers, if the ship as such has the cranes to do the maneuver, fluids, that is, general cargo, which includes, I repeat, cabotage itself so that the merchandise is loaded or unloaded from the dock to be transferred to other docks nationwide,” explained the general director of Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas.

In addition, something that will also be included in the contract for the partial transfer of rights is that the winner of the tender will have to carry out a dredging process to reach a depth sufficient for ships to be able to enter the dock. The required depth is between 15 and 17 meters. “It is part of the investment that they are going to make to be able to operate the dock,” said Anselmo Osorio.

During the six-year term of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, port authorities stated that maritime cabotage would be given a greater boost given the country’s opportunity to have two extensive coastlines, the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, for the movement of goods. They even implemented special rates to encourage companies.

However, specialists consulted by T21 say that there are several factors that discourage companies from considering this type of transport in their supply chains. The first is the long distances between their production centers and ports , that is, the main industrial zones are located in the central, Bajío and northern regions, since there is a strong commercial connection with the United States, and for this reason land transport has prevailed over maritime transport.

Another situation that arises is the contact that cabotage goods must have with Mexican customs, which generates a delay in time and costs for companies, despite the fact that it is not international cargo that requires tax compliance or the presentation of certificates.

However, the low level of cabotage activity in the country is also reflected in the limited supply of merchant marine under the Mexican flag that provides regular services between ports.

In the first seven months of 2024, Mexican ports registered a total movement of 31 million 255 thousand 116 tons in cabotage services , that is, 7.8% less compared to the same period last year, according to statistics from the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (CGPMM) of the Ministry of the Navy .

In the specific case of Lázaro Cárdenas, the port totals one million 737 thousand 363 tons in cabotage maneuvers , which represents an annual drop of 29.5%, according to the reference periods.

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El cargo Coastal Dock in Lázaro Cárdenas: A Slow-Moving Project apareció primero en T21.

In the context of the upcoming elections in Mexico, scheduled for June 2nd, electoral logistics have become a monumental challenge. To ensure that the more than 97 million registered voters can exercise their right to vote, the National Electoral Institute (INE) has implemented a rigorous logistical plan, according to information shared by Top Flotillas and LOGEX.

This process has involved the printing and distribution of 317 million ballots, as well as numerous documents and materials necessary to ensure an orderly and secure voting process across the country.

The scope of the elections is vast, with 20,367 positions being renewed at the federal and local levels, including the presidency of the Republic. Additionally, 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 128 senatorial seats, and several governorships, local congresses, municipal councils, and mayoralties in eight states will be contested.

The transportation of ballots and electoral materials has been carried out under strict security measures and in coordination with various institutions.

This process, which began on May 3rd and extended until May 17th, involved the participation of the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA), the Navy Secretariat (SEMAR), and the National Guard, along with local security forces in each state.

These ballots, guarded along 24 different routes, arrive at the 300 district councils to be counted, sealed, and grouped before being delivered to each polling station.

Timely and secure delivery of the ballots has been crucial, as any delay could compromise the integrity of the electoral process. To ensure this, detailed procedures were implemented at every step of the way, from printing at the Graphic Workshops of Mexico (TGM) to the final distribution.

The production of the ballots began with the executive direction of electoral organization of the INE, responsible for their graphic design. Subsequently, TGM took charge of printing, using security paper with watermark and invisible inks. The ballots are printed in sheets and then cut, packaged, and sent to various destinations.

Each stage of the process was designed to guarantee the authenticity and security of the ballots, avoiding any possibility of substitution or fraud. Once printed, the ballots are grouped into blocks and placed in boxes identified with specific labels to facilitate their distribution.

The INE and security forces work to ensure that each step of the logistical process will be carried out with the utmost precision. From the reception of the materials in the electoral warehouses to the final delivery to the presidents of the polling station boards, every detail was crucial so that on June 2nd, voters find their ballots ready and in order.

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