CICE Group has reached one of its greatest milestones in its 34 years of operations in Mexico, with the launch of its new Semi-Specialized Container and Project Cargo Terminal in the North Bay of the Port of Veracruz, the most important maritime hub for the country.

Leoncio Pérez López, CEO of Grupo CICE, talks in an interview with T21 about the business vision of the business group and the details of the new infrastructure that has taken 13 months of intense work to complete in its first stage, possibly placing it as the port terminal with the fastest construction in time and form , while increasing Mexico’s competitiveness with a facility capable of meeting the needs of current international trade.

Just over 110 Mexican shareholders with experience as customs brokers, shipping agents, and in the land transportation sector laid the groundwork for the group’s formation in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1991, as a port services company. A few years later, it obtained a contract for the partial transfer of rights to operate an 11-hectare multipurpose terminal in the southern bay of the Veracruz port. This was the first multipurpose port facility operating as a bonded facility at the time , but with the limitations of not being able to expand and not having its own waterfront, as it operated only in public docks.

True to this diversified business approach that has characterized them since their founding, they established their vision of becoming “the most comprehensive option in logistics solutions.” The group’s growth led it to expand its service portfolio with the creation of a division specializing in transportation and another in logistics. It has deployed strategic investments to serve its clients in the country’s main industrial and consumer hubs, with extensive warehouses in Veracruz, the State of Mexico, and Monterrey.

“We found a way to do things well, compete, and handle containers without a container terminal,” recalls Leoncio Pérez. Since then, CICE’s growth has been remarkable. By the end of 2024, its operations in the port of Veracruz reached just over 4.4 million tons of merchandise handling, both imported and exported, positioning it as one of the leading mixed cargo and container operators, handling nearly 110,000 boxes during the year.

Growth opportunities are something CICE has taken advantage of. A clear example was its participation in the second tender for the Mixed Cargo Terminal, the last facility to be awarded in the expansion zone of the Port of Veracruz . This occurred after another operator announced an agreement with the then Comprehensive Port Authority (API) Veracruz to voluntarily terminate the Partial Assignment of Rights Contract for said facility early.

This opened the door for CICE to compete for the terminal in a new bidding process , which was declared in its favor in February 2023, after having passed the analysis of the Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) due to its consolidated presence in the southern bay of the port of Veracruz.

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APM Terminals México reported on Friday that, by the end of 2024, it reached a total of 1,079,000 20-foot containers (TEU) operated in its terminals located in the ports of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, and Progreso, Yucatán.

The company stated in a press release that, in particular, the Lázaro Cárdenas terminal experienced a growth of 18.30% compared to the volume of cargo handled in 2023, while the Progreso terminal increased its cargo operated by 3.20% compared to the previous year.

“The increase in cargo movement at our terminals in Mexico reflects the actions implemented to achieve operational excellence, benefiting our customers. It also highlights the strategic importance of Mexico in international trade, as well as the key role played by the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in its transformation as a regional logistics hub ,” said Beatriz Yera, general manager of APM Terminals Mexico, quoted in the statement.

During the months of July and August, the Lázaro Cárdenas terminal reported the highest peaks of activity , with 95,700,000 and 97,000 TEUs moved, respectively. At the Progreso terminal, the busiest months were January and March, with 10,600,000 TEUs and 10,000 TEUs, respectively.

The total number of boxes moved in both terminals during 2024 was 584,600 containers.

Ports in Asian countries such as Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yokohama and Taoren were the main import points, while Balboa, Puerto Quetzal, Los Angeles and Acajutla stood out for exports. The number of ships received at both terminals amounts to 673 throughout 2024.

In 2025, the company said it will continue to promote the modernization of its infrastructure, advancing its commitment to decarbonization and adopting technological solutions that optimize operational efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint.

The company also reported that at the end of last year it received 14 new state-of-the-art cranes ( shuttle carriers ) , to put them into operation at its specialized container terminal (TEC) in the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, the second busiest in Mexico in the reception of containerized goods.

APM Terminals’ TEC in Lázaro Cárdenas, the first semi-automated terminal in Latin America, is currently undergoing an expansion project (Phase 2), with which they hope to increase their capacity by up to 2.2 million TEU (20-foot containers).

The expansion phase has an investment of 140 million dollars and is scheduled to conclude in the first quarter of 2026.

APM Terminals, an independent division of AP Moller-Maersk , operates 60 locations across 33 countries and a workforce of approximately 33,000 employees, handling more than 27,000 vessels and 23.2 million movements annually at its hub and gateway terminals.

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