Delays At Mexico’s Port of Lazaro Cardenas
Delays are being experienced at the port of Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico, as terminal operators fight a lengthy period of congestion.
Mexico’s largest Pacific port has been plagued with congestion for over three months, partly due to a recent surge in car shipments and problems with rail infrastructure and there is no immediate end in sight.
Containers started to pile up at the port from August, as protesting truckers blocked off key routes to an intermodal terminal in Mexico City during a pay dispute. By the time the protests had finished, over 5,000 containers had become stranded at Lazaro Cardenas and the port has not recovered since.
Although the port remains congested, container volumes have actually decreased by 15.9%, with less than 1.2m TEU’s being handled in the first eight months of 2023. The major Mexican ports of Manzanillo and Veracruz also witnessed declines during the same period, being down 2.6% and 4.4% respectively.
As it stands, the Port of Lazaro Cardenas’ short term future looks to be delay stricken, but there is a more optimistic outlook for the future. Two more areas of land have been made available for cargo processing development and the second phase of construction on the port’s $140m Special Container Terminal 2 started last month, which is expected to be completed by early 2026.
In the meantime, we suggest talking to a member of the Envío team, who are monitoring developments, before arranging any urgent orders that require movement through Lazaro Cardenas.
