CANCUN, Q. ROO.- The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) announced the appointment of Paulino Morán as general director , in a change that will focus on the continuity of the institutional work of Miguel Ángel Andrade and the strengthening of the organization that represents shipping agents in Mexico.

During the XXX National Congress of Shipping Agents , Morán stated that his administration will rely on the team built by his predecessor, whose 35-year career in the association was recognized during the meeting.

“Taking on this responsibility is an honor and a great challenge for me. We will continue the work done by Miguel Ángel Andrade and will continue strengthening the Association with the same commitment and dedication, relying on the great team he has built,” he said.

The appointment places a seasoned captain with experience in both maritime transport companies and public administration at the helm of the general management. A graduate of the Tampico Merchant Marine Academy, Morán began his career with Grupo TMM in 1984 and subsequently held executive positions related to tanker operations in Houston and Coatzacoalcos. He also served as operations director for Navalmex, a fuel transportation company.

This career path was complemented by his time at the Mexican maritime authority, where he held various positions until heading the General Directorate of Merchant Marine in 2024, a position he held until July 31, 2025. His experience thus combines knowledge of business operations with that of the public structure responsible for regulating maritime activity.

For Roberto Meillón, president of Amanac, this profile will help guide the next stage of the organization in its relationship with the industry.

“Paulino Morán’s leadership will be key to facing the challenges and taking advantage of the opportunities that Mexico’s maritime and logistics sector has ahead,” he said.

The new leadership will align with the agenda Meillón presented in May for the 2026-2028 period , aimed at strengthening Amanac’s governance, professionalization, and responsiveness . Among its proposals are statutory reforms, working committees, and more robust financial mechanisms, as well as extending the presidency from two to three years to ensure the continuity of strategic projects. The program also includes launching the Amanac Academic Institute, initiating ISO 9001:2015 certification, and digitizing processes to improve service to members.

These objectives are complemented by mentoring and training programs to promote women’s participation in decision-making positions, as well as measures to generate economic benefits for members. Among these, Meillón proposed standardizing the electronic rehabilitation fee for general cargo and promoting agreements that reduce operating costs. This roadmap will be the institutional framework within which Morán will carry out her administration.

The scope of this responsibility is linked to the association’s representativeness. Established on August 6, 1987, Amanac acts as the representative of shipping agents before authorities, service providers, unions, and national and international organizations. Its members serve and represent 95% of the national and foreign vessels that call at Mexican ports, involved in the movement of import and export goods, hydrocarbons, and passengers.

In addition to union representation, the association provides legal, economic, administrative, and technical advice , as well as specialized training. Its structure includes port delegations to address issues that arise in vessel operations and the loading and unloading of goods.

In this change of leadership, Morán acknowledged Andrade’s contribution to the institutional development of Amanac and emphasized the accumulated effort behind his years of service.

“We know that saying 35 years is very easy, in less than two seconds, but it has been a titanic effort that has brought this association to a successful course,” he said.

The continuity announced by the new CEO is based on that structure and the team he is inheriting. In his words, Andrade’s commitment, effort, and vision left a mark on the maritime and port sector and contributed to building the association whose leadership he now assumes.

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El cargo Amanac chooses Paulino Morán for its new phase apareció primero en T21.

CANCÚN, Q. ROO – Modernizing Mexican ports requires expanding infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels, resolving differences in criteria among authorities, simplifying procedures, and connecting the systems involved in the movement of goods. During the opening of the 30th Annual Congress of Shipping Agents , representatives from the industrial sector, the federal government, and the shipping community agreed that the competitiveness of foreign trade depends on making progress in these areas, while also addressing security and decarbonization requirements.

At the meeting organized by the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) , Eduardo Ramírez Leal, Secretary General of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) , stated that Mexico’s opportunities to strengthen its participation in international supply chains require infrastructure and processes that respond to the pace of trade .

The growth in vessel capacity and the complexity of operations, he explained, demand well-prepared ports and services that meet the needs of businesses. However, he cautioned that some improvements also depend on institutional coordination, particularly in administrative simplification, digitalization, and the standardization of procedures.

“The same operation should not face different requirements depending on the port in which it is used,” Ramírez Leal argued.

The observation highlighted a key condition for logistical efficiency: that physical investments be accompanied by predictable procedures . According to the industry representative, dialogue between authorities and companies allows for building solutions based on the experience of those carrying out the operations, with clear rules and certainty for users.

This need for coordination also extends to the various modes of transportation. Ramírez Leal highlighted the industry’s relationship with shipping agents, railroads, and trucking companies , as part of a chain in which the responsiveness of each participant impacts the others. He noted that maritime transport allows Mexican products to reach other markets and also enables the receipt of essential supplies for industrial plants.

In response to these demands, Amanac is preparing changes to its operating tools and staff training . Roberto Meillón, president of the organization, reported that the association is working on modernizing the maritime electronic transmission systems used by its members and affiliates.

This process will be complemented by an academic initiative through which the association seeks to address the sector’s specialization needs.

“The Amanac Academic Institute will begin operations in January 2027,” Meillón announced.

The institute’s launch comes amid stricter international regulations, port automation, and increased environmental demands. The association’s president noted that these changes necessitate updating knowledge and assuming new responsibilities in operations management.

In that context, he raised the need to learn how to use tools like artificial intelligence responsibly . Technology, he explained, has modified both the processes and the nature of work, in an activity where customer service transcends time zones and demands constant adaptation.

The technological upgrade was also addressed from a governmental perspective. Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo, head of the Ports and Merchant Marine Unit at the Secretariat of the Navy , emphasized that digitalization, cargo traceability, smart ports, and system interoperability can contribute to more agile and transparent services.

According to the official, these tools rely on the daily coordination efforts of shipping agents with port, maritime, customs, immigration, and health authorities, as well as with service providers and land transporters. Their involvement allows them to anticipate the needs of vessels, streamline processes, and ensure the continuity of the flow of goods.

This capability becomes even more important when supply chains face disruptions . Gutiérrez Gallardo pointed out that timely information, alternative routes, and coordination among participants are essential for sustaining operations in the face of changes in global trade.

Operational efficiency also has a direct relationship with the environmental agenda . Better scheduling of port calls, shorter waiting times, and efficient use of port services all contribute to reducing emissions and increasing competitiveness, he explained.

“Sustainability requires allies in daily operations,” Gutiérrez Gallardo stated.

The official indicated that the Mexican Navy is working on the planning, construction, and maintenance of efficient and resilient infrastructure , compliance with the instruments of the International Maritime Organization, and strengthening the security of port facilities and navigation. Regarding environmental matters, he identified the decarbonization strategy for Mexican ports as the roadmap for moving toward cleaner facilities.

From the business perspective, Meillón also called for incorporating decarbonization into operational decisions and finding short-term solutions that contribute to international goals by 2050. His approach linked the environmental transition with the training and modernization needs of the industry.

Under the theme “Logistics and Foreign Trade: Innovation, Resilience, and Sustainability ,” the congress brings together discussions on supply chains, logistics hubs, rail intermodality, road transport security, smart ports, and the evolution of the shipping agent’s role. These topics reflect an agenda in which infrastructure, technology, and coordination must advance together to translate into more reliable and competitive operations.

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El cargo Shipping agents chart their transformation in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) began a new stage with the swearing-in of Roberto Meillón Covarrubias as president of its Board of Directors for the period 2026-2028, in a context where the maritime sector faces increasing pressures to modernize its processes, strengthen the country’s logistical competitiveness and consolidate a stronger dialogue with the authorities and the industry.

During his first address as head of the association, Meillón outlined an agenda based on six strategic pillars aimed at making Amanac more institutional, technological, and inclusive. “Our mission is clear: to strengthen the unity of the industry, promote reorganization, and ensure that the voice of shipping agents is heard loud and clear and respected in all areas,” he stated before representatives of the maritime, logistics, and industrial sectors.

The new president of Amanac stated that one of the main challenges will be strengthening internal governance through statutory reforms, working committees, and more robust financial mechanisms. In this regard, he announced plans to extend the presidential term from two to three years to ensure the continuity of strategic projects and accelerate institutional processes that, he acknowledged, require further development to become fully established.

Among the highlights was the launch of the Amanac Institute , an initiative spearheaded by the outgoing administration and which, according to Meillón, will be a cornerstone of his administration. “Our task will be to transform it from a project into a living reality, with academic programs, specialized instructors, and students who represent the future of the profession,” he stated.

Professionalization of the sector emerged as one of the central themes of the event. Following this line of thought, Meillón also announced the start of the ISO 9001:2015 certification process for the association, as well as a technological modernization strategy focused on digitizing processes and improving responsiveness to shipping members. “Digitalization is not a luxury; it is a necessity to respond quickly and effectively to an increasingly interconnected world,” he stated.

Another key focus of his administration will be promoting gender equality and female leadership within the maritime sector. The new president of Amanac announced mentorship and training programs to increase women’s participation in decision-making positions within the industry.

The economic agenda also featured prominently. Meillón noted that one of the main projects will be the standardization of electronic rehabilitation fees for general cargo, a measure aimed at generating direct economic benefits for members, as well as strengthening training programs and agreements that reduce operating costs. “We want every member to feel that belonging to Amanac means obtaining concrete, measurable, and valuable advantages,” he stated.

Fernando Con y Ledesma, outgoing president of Amanac, also participated in the event, emphasizing the need to maintain institutional continuity in the face of an increasingly complex maritime and port environment. “Strong institutions are those that evolve, renew themselves, and understand that each administration contributes an important part to the long-term collective effort,” he stated.

The ceremony also revealed the support of other business and transportation organizations. Francisco Fabila, president of the Mexican Association of Railroads (AMF) and representative of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) , stated that shipping agents have become a strategic component for national competitiveness , particularly given the reconfiguration of global supply chains and Mexico’s repositioning within international trade.

“Shipping agents are a fundamental part of Mexico’s productive structure. Without their work, goods don’t arrive, exports don’t leave, and value chains don’t function ,” stated Fabila, who also offered Concamin’s support for the agenda promoted by Amanac’s new leadership on issues such as port modernization, legal certainty, digitalization, and the training of specialized human capital.

The association comprises approximately 70 shipping agencies that account for 95% of vessel calls, facilitating the movement of roughly 95% of cargo in Mexican ports. In the tourism sector, it collaborates closely with major cruise lines.

The renewal of Amanac comes at a time when the Mexican maritime-port system faces simultaneous pressures: increased demand for logistical efficiency, more complex regulatory requirements, and the need to accelerate technological adoption to remain competitive with other international hubs. Under these circumstances, the new administration will seek to position shipping agents not only as operators of maritime trade, but also as strategic players in the country’s logistical transformation.

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El cargo Roberto Meillón charts a new course at Amanac apareció primero en T21.