Boxes piling into Mexican ports - but then piling up

By Ian Putzger, Americas correspondent 23/04/2024

Mexico’s box ports continue to boost throughput, fuelled by nearshoring and roaring trade with the US.
Manzanillo, the nation’s largest gateway, clocked up 7.3% growth for the first three months of the year, with 8,324,581 tons. Imports surged 15.7%, while exports advanced at a more stately 6.4%.

Box traffic at the port’s four container terminals climbed 17.7%, to 958,271 teu, driven by a 19.2% rise in imports.
Manzanillo handles about one-third of Mexico’s exports and 40% of containerised imports.

Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico’s second-largest cargo port, has not yet released traffic numbers for March, but February saw a 35% surge in container volumes, to 364,368 teu, while the port’s auto business rose 5%, to 100,843 units. Containerised imports climbed 33%, while exports jumped 53%.

Mexico’s waterborne international trade has been on a tear this year, kicking off with 20% growth in box traffic in January. The two largest ports on the Gulf coast, Veracruz and Altamira, registered increases of 13.1% and 29.5% respectively. On the Pacific coast, which accounted for 73% of traffic, Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas saw box volumes grow 13.8% and 40% respectively.

More:
https://theloadstar.com/boxes-piling-into-mexican-ports-but-then-piling-up/