The port of Lázaro Cárdenas, the second largest container port in the Mexican Pacific and a leader in handling new automobiles, is facing a crisis: a handful of trucking operators have been blocking access to the fiscal area since the early hours of September 4 , protesting long waits to load or unload cargo.
Transporters report wait times exceeding 36 hours, apparently caused by the tightening of customs inspections of goods .
In addition, other factors are added, such as poor waiting conditions: lack of restrooms, food, and adequate spaces to shelter from the sun or rain.
The situation, they point out, has become unsustainable and directly impacts the financial situation of federal transportation operators, who depend on the rapid turnover of trips to maintain stable income.
The complainants, a group of just 10 people, according to sources consulted by T21, have not been identified as members of any transport association.
In response to the blockade, the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) acknowledged the protest, although it downplayed the impact on the facility’s overall operations. In an official statement, it stated that “the outgoing flow of goods continues, and work continues to minimize any impact on logistics activities.”
The port authority also assured that it is coordinating with customs and the terminals “in order to establish a respectful dialogue and advance a negotiation process that will allow for the restoration of full access to the port.”
However, transporters have warned that they will not lift the blockade until a fundamental solution is guaranteed to the deficiencies they have been facing for more than a year.
The crisis at Lázaro Cárdenas highlights a paradox: while the port seeks to consolidate itself as a strategic hub for foreign trade, especially in the movement of vehicles and containers, its weakest links —customs and trucking services—are becoming bottlenecks that undermine the competitiveness of the entire logistics chain.
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