3.4% Increase in Maritime Vehicle Movement in Mexico (Jan-Oct 2024)

3.4% Increase in Maritime Vehicle Movement in Mexico from January to October 2024

The maritime transport of vehicles in Mexico saw a 3.4% increase in deep-sea traffic from January to October 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year. According to the data, ports on the Pacific and Gulf-Caribbean coasts played a key role in this growth, though with significant variations in performance.

Performance of Pacific Ports

In the Pacific, 725,231 units were transported in 2024, marking a slight 1.4% increase from the 715,253 units reported in 2023. The port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, stood out with a 13.8% rise, handling 145,694 vehicles in 2024 compared to 128,006 in 2023.

However, other ports, such as Manzanillo, Colima, saw a significant decline of 61.3%, transporting only 1,039 units in 2024, down from 2,625 the previous year. Meanwhile, Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán—the main Pacific port—experienced a slight 1.0% decrease, handling 578,498 units in 2024 compared to 584,559 in 2023.

Growth in the Gulf-Caribbean Region

The Gulf-Caribbean region experienced more significant growth, with a 4.6% increase in the total volume of transported vehicles, reaching 1,227,265 units in 2024, up from 1,173,376 in the previous year.

Gulf-Caribbean vehicle transport operations

Among the standout ports, Altamira, Tamaulipas, grew by 20.4%, rising from 354,097 vehicles in 2023 to 426,385 in 2024. Similarly, Tuxpan, Veracruz, saw a remarkable 146.4% increase, transporting 79,693 units in 2024 compared to 32,343 in 2023. In contrast, the port of Veracruz recorded a slight 8.4% decrease, handling 721,174 vehicles in 2024 compared to 786,936 the previous year.

Mexico’s Strategic Role in Maritime Transport

Overall, both coastlines transported a total of 1,952,498 vehicles in 2024, surpassing the 1,888,629 units from 2023. This growth highlights Mexico’s consolidation as a strategic hub for maritime vehicle transport, despite varying performance across different ports.