Port of Manzanillo Grows 17.7%

In the first quarter of 2024, the movement of TEUs (20-foot containers, a standard unit of measurement in the maritime transport industry) at the Port of Manzanillo grew by 17.7% compared to the same period last year, according to José Antonio Contreras, president of the Association of Terminals and Operators of the Port of Manzanillo (Astom).

He noted that this growth is attributed in part to new investments in Mexico, driven by nearshoring.

“The macroeconomic trends in Mexico, which have boosted consumption and manufacturing for future export to the United States primarily, have increased activity,” he emphasized.

According to Asiona Manzanillo data, during the first three months of 2024, the port handled 958,271 TEUs, compared to 814,429 TEUs in the previous year.

Additionally, commercial cargo increased by 8.9%, with Manzanillo moving 7,656,238 tons from January to March, a significant rise from the 7,028,339 tons handled in the same period of 2023.

During this period, general cargo increased by 4.8%, agricultural bulk grew by 30.6%, mineral bulk decreased by 20.2%, and containerized cargo, the most important category, rose by 14.7%.

Main Pacific Port in Latin America

In 2023, Manzanillo established itself as the leading port on the Pacific coast of Latin America, ranking third overall by cargo volume, according to the annual ranking by the international site Port Economics.

Mexico is the country with the most ports in the top 20 positions in Latin America, with four, along with Brazil.

In addition to Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán is ranked eighth; the Port of Veracruz is in 14th place, and Altamira Tampico in Tamaulipas is in 18th place.