Rising traffic at Mexico's ports delayed customs clearance for importers

Posted on October 29, 2024   |  

Increased traffic at Mexico’s sea freight gateways strains capacity and leads to longer waiting times for importers, with customs clearance as a key issue.

Mexico's logistics infrastructure struggles with rising international cargo flows, prompting industry leaders to call for more investment in ports, roads, and rail.

Container traffic rose by 14.8% in the first eight months of this year compared to last year, while Lazaro Cardenas saw a 28.7% increase in container movement from January to September.

The average dwell time for import containers reaches 11 days, exceeding the 7-day grace period before storage fees start.

In September, container pick-up times at the four largest gateways improve to an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes, with customs procedures taking 2 hours and 19 minutes.

At Lazaro Cardenas, truckers take an average of six hours to pick up a container, with customs procedures accounting for nearly half of that time at 2.9 hours.