The awarding of the Made in Mexico distinction to 11 companies affiliated with the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) came with a message that went beyond business recognition: the federal government admits that, in order to fully take advantage of the economic opportunity before it, Mexico must resolve historical shortcomings in infrastructure, security, training and formalization.

The companies recognized by the Ministry of Economy (SE) were Agencia Naviera de México, Sea Alliance, Samsung SDS México, Kundiso, Ceci, Fisa, Semave, CICE O+C, Ascop, Navieros y Consignaciones and CICE , companies linked to foreign trade and maritime logistics that joined one of the strategies promoted within the so-called Mexico Plan.

During the ceremony, Ignacio Aguado, Director General of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Economy, stated that the certification aims to strengthen national content and increase the country’s competitiveness in an international environment marked by trade tensions, reconfiguration of supply chains and growing competition among emerging economies.

However, the official also acknowledged that Mexico faces challenges that limit its ability to fully capitalize on its strategic position. “ Infrastructure is one of them; we still have a lot to resolve regarding security —it’s the number one demand,” he stated, noting that industrial and logistical growth has outpaced the country’s capacity to develop the necessary conditions to sustain it.

The message is particularly relevant for a sector that depends on the efficiency of ports, roads, customs, and supply chains . While the government promotes greater production integration and a strengthening of domestic content, the authority itself acknowledges that bottlenecks persist that can affect the competitiveness of companies operating in foreign trade.

Aguado defended the government’s strategy, asserting that Mexico retains advantages that are difficult for other countries to replicate, especially due to its integration with the United States. “We are irreplaceable ,” he stated, referring to the trade relationship between the two nations and the role of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) within the regional economy.

Another point that drew attention was the recognition of the shortage of specialized talent facing the logistics industry . The official explained that the Ministry of Economy is promoting training and certification programs to professionalize the sector, given the growing demand for qualified personnel.

Business formalization also emerged as one of the most significant outstanding issues. Aguado pointed out that more than half of the country’s economic units operate informally , a condition that limits productivity, competitiveness, and the economy’s growth potential.

In this context, the Made in Mexico label seeks to become more than just a promotional seal. “We have a roadmap, we have a strategy, and one of those strategies is the Made in Mexico certification ,” stated the official, who defended the initiative as a tool to identify formal businesses, raise standards, and strengthen the presence of national suppliers and service providers.

On behalf of Amanac, Roberto Meillón emphasized that the association decided to join the program from the outset. “We didn’t hesitate for a second; it was something that clicked immediately ,” he stated. The organization’s president noted that the member companies share an interest in contributing to the country’s economic development and expanding the value they offer their customers.

The awarding of the distinction thus left a dual interpretation: on the one hand, the government’s commitment to strengthening the domestic market and national supply chains; on the other, the recognition that Mexico’s competitiveness will continue to depend on its ability to solve structural problems that the government itself identifies as pending.

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El cargo 11 companies affiliated with Amanac embrace “Made in Mexico” apareció primero en T21.

The arrival of the  Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac)  into a new phase under the presidency of Roberto Meillón Covarrubias points not only to a leadership transition, but also to a fundamental rethinking of how the organization should operate and evolve in the coming years. Aware of the “big package” that, as he stated in an interview with T21, Fernando Con y Ledesma is leaving him, the new president outlined an agenda focused on governance, institutional framework, modernization, human capital, and a more active role for the board of directors in the association’s operations. 

“It is my responsibility to coordinate and direct,” Meillón explains, adding that his management model will rely on the delegation of responsibilities and a more dynamic structure. 

The first line of action will be to strengthen Amanac’s internal governance through mandatory and measurable participation of all board members. Following this approach, the creation of six specialized committees was announced, each with specific responsibilities, ranging from auditing and governance to technological modernization, legal and statutory matters, human resources, and maritime and port issues, divided between the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. 

One of the most significant changes Meillón is promoting is the updating of Amanac’s bylaws, which, he emphasizes, have not been modified in over three decades. Among the proposals is extending the presidential term to three years starting in 2030 , although this is contingent upon annual evaluations based on performance indicators. 

Institutionalization will also be central to his administration. The executive believes the association must professionalize its internal processes through certifications and standards that, he asserts, the organization currently lacks. “We are going to ensure Amanac has established work processes and standardizes them. That is what the members demand,” he states. 

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Within the Mexican port network, Veracruz has consolidated its position as one of the most dynamic gateways for international maritime trade.

Its connectivity with the United States, Europe, the Mediterranean, and Latin America , as well as its historic logistics focus, have made it a key hub for supply chains that support key sectors of the national economy.

Today, this port is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, driven by the expansion works in Bahía Norte, which in the medium and long term will triple its cargo handling capacity and strengthen its position as a continental-scale logistics hub .

In the first half of 2025, Veracruz handled 14.7 million tons of cargo , a figure that reflects its resilience to the ups and downs of global trade.

This dynamism is no coincidence: it responds to a modernization program that includes the expansion of fluid, multipurpose, and container terminals, as well as increased infrastructure for bulk agricultural and mineral cargo.

The federal government estimates investments of 55.179 billion pesos over the coming years, aimed at strengthening the capacity and competitiveness of the country’s strategic ports, with Veracruz as a key player.

The event will bring together leading business leaders, port terminal leaders, shipping company representatives, authorities, and academics to discuss the challenges and prospects of maritime trade and logistics in a complex global environment.

The opening ceremony will be led by Fernando Con y Ledesma, president of Amanac, and will include the participation of the governor of Veracruz, Rocío Nahle García; Francisco Cervantes Díaz, president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) ; and Alejandro Malagón Barragán, president of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) , among other key players in the sector.

The Congress’s thematic axes will include debates on port infrastructure and national strategy, smart terminals and strategic connectivity, maritime education and human capital development, best practices in port security in Latin America, port investment and modernization in Mexico, as well as environmental innovation and ecological governance.

In addition, keynote lectures will focus on artificial intelligence applied to foreign trade, economic indicators, USMCA strategies, and geoeconomic dynamics in the maritime industry.

More than just a sectoral meeting, the 29th Amanac Congress is emerging as a strategic platform for coordinating public policies, business strategies, and technological trends aimed at Mexico’s maritime and port competitiveness.

The choice of Veracruz as the host country reaffirms its role as a continental logistics and trade platform , at a time of profound transformation in international trade and the supply chains that support it.

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In the competitive and increasingly complex world of maritime and port trade, reaching almost four decades of presence, legitimacy, and influence is no coincidence. The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) has just celebrated its 38th anniversary , and, as its president, Fernando Con, points out, the journey has been marked by internal challenges, complex negotiations, and a logistical context that faces unprecedented pressures in 2025.

“Today, Amanac is a mature association, present in negotiations with the Mexican government and an authoritative voice before national and international organizations,” says Con.

Amanac’s story begins in 1987, when a group of seven shipping agencies decided to create an alternative business representation body for a divided sector . At that time, the shipping agent activity was highly recognized socially, and most agencies in Mexico were run by family owners.

In Con’s words, the seed of Amanac was the need for more homogeneous representation to address the union disputes and salary revisions of the time, in a country with soaring inflation and ongoing negotiations with port unions.

“It was one of the most important decisions I’ve made in my professional life: to follow the founding of Amanac and see it where it is today,” he recalls.

If you’d like to continue reading this business article, we invite you to check out the September 2025 edition of T21 magazine online. Click here .

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Within the framework of the XXI Assembly of the Inter-American Chamber of National Associations of Shipping Agents (CIANAM) , held in Mexico City, Fernando Con y Ledesma was elected new president of the Board of Directors , in a unanimous decision supported by representatives of the main maritime and port organizations in Latin America and North America.

“It is an honor to assume the Presidency of CIANAM and work alongside member countries to strengthen the competitiveness of regional maritime trade. At Amanac, we will continue to promote innovation, cooperation, and sustainable strategies that guarantee modern, efficient, and resilient maritime transport,” said the new business leader.

Fernando Con y Ledesma, also president of the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) , hosted this edition of the Assembly, which featured a series of strategic conferences.

Representing Admiral Secretary of the Navy, Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, the Undersecretary of the Navy of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) , José Barradas Cobos , inaugurated this important meeting, which was also attended by Captain Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo, General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine of the Semar.

The meeting was also attended by trade attachés from the participating countries, who shared their perspectives on trade relations among CIANAM member countries, enriching the discussions on strategies to improve the competitiveness and efficiency of maritime trade in the region.

In this way, Amanac celebrated the election of a Mexican leader to head CIANAM , which reaffirmed the country’s role as a regional leader in maritime integration and as a driver of more modern, efficient, and sustainable logistics.

Founded in 2003 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, CIANAM brings together the continent’s most important shipping agent associations. Its objectives include defending and promoting the interests of maritime and port trade, ensuring its global competitiveness through international collaboration and logistical development.

During his speech, Miguel Ángel Andrade Gómez, CEO of Amanac and vice president of CIANAM , highlighted the strategic value of this space to consolidate the leadership of the continent’s maritime and port sector.

He also emphasized Mexico’s importance as a strategic hub for foreign trade operations, given its geographic location and the volume of transactions it manages.

The 21st Assembly also provided an opportunity to discuss initiatives related to the new challenges of the international trade environment, particularly the adjustments resulting from economic policies promoted by the United States. These discussions focused on strengthening port competitiveness and optimizing logistics processes in the region.

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There is no professional who is closer to knowing the reality of ports than a maritime agent or shipping agent .

Representatives of this industry’s associations in Latin America and the United States met yesterday in Mexico City for their 21st Annual Meeting, where they did not hesitate to reveal the current issues at the region’s ports.

The body that brings together these associations is the Inter-American Chamber of National Associations of Shipping Agents (CIANAM) .

Although the challenges and difficulties faced by ports may be similar, each country faces a different economic, growth, and maritime development context, which undoubtedly affects the flow of international trade in various ways .

Here, we see situations such as a lack of investment in infrastructure to handle the entry and exit of goods, such as roads, port access, and equipped port terminals; as well as responsive customs and committed port authorities; and port operators with the capacity to handle each type of cargo.

The meeting presented the cases of Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the United States, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Uruguay , according to the agenda.

CIANAM is made up of the Navigation Center (Cenav, Argentina) , the National Federation of Maritime Navigation Agencies (Fenamar, Brazil) , the Maritime and Port Chamber of Chile (Camport) , the Costa Rican Chamber of Shipowners (Nave) , the Maritime Chamber of Ecuador (Camae) , the Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ASBA, United States) , the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) , the Maritime Chamber of Panama , the Association of Shipping Agents of Paraguay (Asamar) , the Peruvian Association of Maritime Agents (APAM) and the Navigation Center (Uruguay) .

This regional chamber was founded in 2004 , after two years of work that began at the 2002 meeting of the Federation of National Associations of Brokers and Maritime Agents (Fonasba) .

On behalf of Mexico, the work was carried out by Miguel E. García, president of Amanac at the time. Since then, the country has actively supported CIANAM’s work . Today, Amanac is chaired by Fernando Con y Ledesma and directed by Miguel A. Andrade, who was also appointed vice president of the Chamber in 2023.

Mexico, host of the 21st Annual Meeting, has twice led CIANAM. In the last two years, it was led by Uruguayan Mónica Ageitos , whose term concludes this Friday. A new president is expected to be elected during the CIANAM meeting, which ends this Friday.

The objective of CIANAM is to promote the rights of maritime agents , transport and maritime trade in harmony with inter-American interests.

Undoubtedly, the latter could not be achieved without lobbying the various port authorities. This meeting in Mexico City was attended by Admiral José Barradas Cobos, Undersecretary of the Navy at the Ministry of the Navy , as well as by the head of the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine, Captain Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo; and by representatives from the Ministry of Economy (SE) , such as Alejandro Habib, Director of Business Integration Programs, and Citalli Navarro, Director General of Market Access for Goods.

The message these officials delivered focused on aligning Mexico’s maritime development strategy with the guidelines of the plan implemented by the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“During this six-year term, Mexico will not turn its back on the sea,” said Citlalli Navarro during her address, also highlighting that the federal government sees customs as “a great opportunity for national economic development, and that this will translate into the well-being of the Mexican population.”

The SE representative justified her comment by highlighting the fact that 30% of Mexico’s total gross revenue comes from the 50 customs offices , and half of this percentage is collected through the 17 maritime customs offices.

For his part, Fernando Con indicated that CIANAM intends to integrate the other Latin American countries in order to make the region more competitive with the rest of the world.

Also present at the meeting was Fulvio Carlini, president of Fonasba, who emphasized that America has the advantage of having three main languages ​​spoken, mostly Spanish, which leads to better understanding and collaborative work at CIANAM .

And while the region’s ports face multiple challenges, they have also shown some progress in recent years that has increased their operational capacity, whether through new or improved facilities.

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Due to the importance of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in the movement of goods and the increase in operational movement expected in 2025 due to the incorporation of three more shipping line services, predicting at least 25% more cargo increase, Estefani Leal , Legal Manager of the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) , considered it essential that the customs of this port be modified from a type 2 to a type 1.

At the National Consultation Forum for Mexican Customs and Ports , held in the Chamber of Deputies , Leal pointed out that this would mean that this strategic point could be provided with personnel, non-intrusive inspection equipment, extended hours and everything necessary for it to operate efficiently in order to offer better service to foreign trade users.

According to the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) , there are two types of customs: type 1, which are those with the largest operations, as well as schedules, staff allocation and more resources in general.

Type 2, according to ANAM, refers to a customs office whose operations are normal , without high demand and with fewer needs than a type 1. Currently, Lázaro Cárdenas is classified as type 2, however, due to the type of operation and volume it handles, it should be type 1.

According to Leal, Lázaro Cárdenas is the second largest maritime port for vehicle mobilization nationwide . In 2024 alone, it reported a movement of more than 670 thousand units, surpassed only by Veracruz.

“It was also ranked as the eighth port in Latin America in container movement, reporting the movement of more than nine million TEU (20-foot containers) last year, second only to Manzanillo,” he explained.

According to information from the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Lázaro Cárdenas , this port closed 2024 with a total figure of 31 million 295 thousand 690 tons of cargo operated , which meant an increase of 6% compared to the 29 million 592 thousand 908 tons reached in the same period of 2023.

Representatives from the customs and transportation sectors also participated in the forum, where they presented the needs and areas of opportunity for this industry, in relation to the initiative to reform the Customs Law , proposed by Congresswoman Rosalinda Savala , which seeks to modernize customs processes and  unify and extend operating hours at the 50 customs offices in Mexico.

The proposal also states that customs services will be implemented during the following hours: Monday to Sunday from 00:00 to 24:00, Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 21:00, and Sundays from 9:00 to 15:00.

In this regard, Yax Tzel Nolasco Gómez , president of the Manzanillo Cargo Transport Union (UTCM) , considered it important to begin modifying both annex four of the rules where schedules are discussed, as well as different articles of the Customs Law , to streamline and seek efficiency in seaports, as well as their cargo.

According to Asipona Lázaro Cárdenas, in 2024, deep-sea traffic was the most relevant, representing 91% of the total cargo volume. Within this, imports accounted for 65% , standing out as the main segment, while exports accounted for 26% of global movement.

During his participation, Julio César Cortés , president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) Lázaro Cárdenas Region , highlighted the importance of modifying customs as imperative , and emphasized that port schedules must also be reconsidered, so that they are more dynamic in their operations, which would impact the well-being of workers and their families.

“Entry and exit times help to increase efficiency, and this initiative would also contribute to the development of the community where the ports are located,” he said.

Another of the problems addressed at the event was the traffic congestion at the port of Lázaro Cárdenas. This was commented by Sergio Orozco Caballero , from Servicios al Comercio y Transportes Garusi , who said that this situation has generated high levels of pollution and insecurity.

In an interview with T21 , he indicated that this situation is due to the schedules managed by the Lázaro Cárdenas customs office, which do not allow the dispatch of merchandise to be cut off at one in the afternoon because after that there are no appointments to take it out or collect it.

“This is causing problems for all types of transport, which are parked all over the main avenue and in other parts of the city and along the highway, which has caused many accidents,” he stressed.

Also present at the event were Marcelo Padilla Gómez Tagle , president of the Executive Committee of the Association of Customs Agents of Lázaro Cárdenas (AAALAC) ; Saúl Alejandro Cuevas , director of SOMI Transportes; Jorge Medina , general director of Transpoint Intermoda , among others.

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In order to analyze the challenges of foreign trade to improve and enhance logistics in Mexican ports, as well as define an action plan, the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) will hold the XXVIII edition of the Annual Congress of Shipping Agents in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco .

The event will take place from October 2 to 5  and is entitled “The challenges of foreign trade in the logistics chain ,” according to a statement from Amanac, which detailed that the strategic proximity of the venue to the port of Manzanillo reinforces the relevance of this meeting.

Fernando Con y Ledesma, president of Amanac, highlighted the importance of the congress, which “will bring together distinguished representatives, managers and entrepreneurs, both national and international, specialists in the logistics sector, consolidating our position as an essential forum for dialogue, as well as collaboration in the maritime-port and foreign trade industry.”

For three days, attendees will discuss the challenges and opportunities in foreign trade and the strategic role of the maritime-port sector in the global and national logistics chain , to establish action plans focused on maximizing logistics.

Maritime transport as the axis of logistics, the role of port terminals as a critical link , the perspective of importers and exporters and the importance of road transport as an essential link are among the central themes of the event.

In addition, roundtable discussions will be held to explore key topics for the maritime, port and supply chain sectors.

The topics to be discussed include: “Maritime transport in logistics”; “Port terminals, a crucial link”; “Customer, importer and exporter”; “Road transport, an essential link”; “Challenges of the Bill of Lading Supplement” and “International vision”, among others. Also, a “Practical case of an import: the story continues” will be analyzed.

With these sessions, the congress will seek to address the most urgent challenges of the sector , focusing on improving the efficiency of supply chains and highlighting the strategic role of the maritime sector in the field of national and international foreign trade.

In this regard, Fernando Con y Ledesma stressed the importance of this issue, since there are 50 billion dollars (mdd) “in the waiting room”, from more than 100 companies interested in investing in Mexico.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), in July of this year the value of merchandise exports reached 54 thousand 789 million dollars, which represented an annual increase of 14.7%, so the XXVIII Annual Congress of Shipping Agents becomes relevant in the context of global trade that Mexico has.

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El cargo Challenges and Opportunities in Foreign Trade and Ports to Be Analyzed at the 28th Annual Congress of Shipping Agents apareció primero en T21.