Mexican Ports Continue Expansion Despite Tariff Uncertainty
While rising US tariffs have cast doubt over the trend for nearshowing and future trade flows with the US, Mexico’s port sector remains firmly in growth mode.
Public and private stakeholders appear undeterred by Trump duty hikes on both Mexico and China, with major expansion projects across several key hubs in full flow.
At Veracruz, the country’s leading Atlantic port, the first phase of a new terminal for containers and mixed cargo in the port’s northern zone has just been completed. Spanning over 22 hectares, the development features a 550-metre dock and a container yard with a capacity of 500,000 TEUs.
Impressively, the first phase of the project was completed in just over a year. Construction on the second and final phase is still scheduled to begin this quarter.
On the Pacific side, Lázaro Cárdenas—Mexico’s second-largest port after Manzanillo—is now in the third and final stage of a major expansion. This development will add 28 hectares of operational space, extend the dock by 345 metres to a total of 1,278 metres, and increase the port’s surface area to 104 hectares. The port handled 1.5 million TEUs last year, marking a 20% increase over its 2023 volume.
Mexico’s logistics and transport sectors should also see a significant boost in funding soon. The federal government is planning to invest in ocean freight transport infrastructure through the ‘Mexico Plan’, an initiative launched in January. The package, valued at up to $1.53 billion, will remain active until 2030, providing long-term support for the industry.
