10 Major Ports in Mexico

Mexico is positioned in the southern part of the North American Continent and is the tenth most populated country in the world.

A developing economy, it has been categorised as an upper-middle-income country by the World Bank and is the second biggest economy in Latin America.

It has a diverse cultural heritage and houses many UNESCO World Heritage sites. Financial services and tourism are the leading sectors, followed by the automobile, oil, electronics, and agriculture.

Mexico is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has more than 20 seaports situated on its Atlantic coast and around 12 on its Pacific Coast.

Let us review the 10 biggest ports in Mexico, listed according to the volume of cargo handled.

1. Port of Manzanillo

Manzanillo port is situated in the State of Colima on the western Pacific Coast of Mexico. A cargo port and a famous resort city, Puerto de Manzanillo is the main gateway for international trade, linked to the nation’s industrial and commercial corridor in the western and central regions.

It has direct shipping connections with 125 ports in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, India, China, Russia and Germany.

In 2022, Manzanillo handled around 31 million tonnes of cargo and 3.474 million TEU, up 3% from the previous year.

The region’s economy is based on the manufacturing, commercial, and tourism sectors, and it is abundant in natural resources.

Principal exports include fish, corn, lemons, bananas, canned food, wine, copra, lumber, cement, and other products. Repackaging services for shoes, clothes, and chemical products are also provided.

A wide range of products are unloaded at the port including consumer goods like wax, agricultural produce such as wheat, sorghum, fertilisers, sulphur, and zinc concentrates.

The port covers 437 hectares of land and consists of 19 operational berths, divided among a breakbulk terminal, an international container terminal, an oil terminal, and a passenger terminal capable of accommodating the biggest cruise ships.

2. Port of Lazaro Cardenas

Lazaro Cardenas Port lies at the mouth of the river Rio Balsas on Mexico’s Pacific coastline in the State of Michoacán.

A well-protected, deepwater port, it is the second busiest in the country.

The port handled approximately 29 million tonnes of cargo and 2 million TEUs in 2022, and its growth rate can be attributed to the automotive industry. The industry recorded a rise of 40% in 2022 when the facility established a new record by handling 646,000 automotive units, a trend that continued in 2023.

It serves a steel mill and the industrial zone and also houses a naval base. Major exports include iron plates, steel bars, diammonium, phosphate, and container goods.

Cardenas Port receives shipments of pellets, pig iron, sulphur, coke, grains, minerals, gasoline, diesel, etc.

Lazaro Cardenas is the only Mexican port with an 18-meter-wide access channel capable of receiving the largest cargo vessels.

It spans 25 hectares and has 22 wharves divided among its five public and four private terminals. The former specialises in handling grains, containerised cargo and miscellaneous goods.

The latter deal with bulk minerals, fluids, coal and fertilisers.

3. Port of Veracruz

Founded by the Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes in the 15th century, Veracruz has transformed into an important financial centre and a trading hub.

The Port of Veracruz is located on the Gulf Coast of Mexico near the Bay of Campeche. It serves the country’s central and southern regions and is also connected to North and South America, Europe, and Africa.

The volume of cargo handled at Veracruz amounted to 2.59 million metric tons in 2022, up from 2.37 million metric tonnes handled in 2021.

It contains 11 wharves covering 4500 m, handling diverse cargo such as corn, petroleum coke, wheat, soya, containers, steel, metal scrap, vegetable oil, rice, tallow, benzene, canola, pig iron, clinker, automobiles, machinery, chemicals etc.

The principal port on the eastern coast of Mexico is the backbone of the city’s economy.

It is also an important fishing port and provides water sports facilities. People from all over the world flock to the city to enjoy the Carnaval, an annual festival featuring colourful parades, local food, dance and music.

4. Port of Coatzacoalcos

This port lies at the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River before it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the main oil port of the nation, having a natural harbour divided into two portions: a free port lying on the western bank of the river and the Pajaritos oil port owned by Pemex company.

An important port and a transportation centre, Coatzacoalcos is linked to the Mexico metropolitan area and Merida by railways.

It primarily exports petroleum products manufactured in Minatitlán, followed by forest products, agricultural goods and consumer goods.

The port’s liquified gas terminal contains 7 wharves for accommodating gas carriers and oil tankers. It also has storage facilities for bulk, containers and general cargo.

It has 8 conventional berths and 9 tanker berths and handled 2.53 million metric tonnes in 2022.

5. Port of Altamira

Altamira port is on the Gulf of Mexico and serves the country’s economic and industrial regions, including the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, San Luis Potosi, etc.

It is also a much-liked holiday destination visited by nature lovers, golfers, sports fishers, and hunters. It also houses numerous industries, including shipbuilding, canneries, sawmills, clothing, textiles and machine repair workshops.

It handles petroleum, LNG, agave fibre, sugar, cattle, copper, coffee, hides, and containerised cargo.

Altamira Port handled 1.65 million metric tonnes in 2022, down from 1.73 million metric tonnes in 2021.

It has a large modern container terminal consisting of 4 docks. However, it mainly serves the region’s petrochemical sector and contributes to job creation and revenue generation.

Companies like BASF and POSCO have processing plants near the port facility.

6. Port of Tampico

Tampico Port is located on the northern bank of the Río Pánuco in the State of Tamaulipas, just ten kilometres from the Gulf of Mexico.

It is the major maritime gateway for petrochemical and mining products, steel, wood, metals, minerals, molasses and other industrial products.

The facility handles approximately 8,831,000 tonnes of cargo, including 11,000 TEUs, annually. In 2022, this port handled 650,000 metric tonnes.

Twenty major shipping lines connect Tampico with 100 ports in countries such as the United States, Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Singapore, and Australia.

It is an important commercial and military harbour consisting of 24 berthing facilities. Drydocks and shipyards are located on the southern bank of the river, including 2 tanker terminals operated by the Pemex company.

Tampico has 6 private and 2 public terminals and 10 fields for constructing marine oil rigs.

It has ample storage space including 38,000 m2 of warehouse area, 6500 m2 of sheds and 330,000 m2 of open yards for storing general cargo.

7. Port of Guaymas

Guaymas Port is situated near the Gulf of California off the Pacific Ocean in the State of Sonora, just 400 km from the US border. In 2022, it handled around 600,000 metric tonnes.

Positioned at the mouth of the Rio Yaqui, the port is an important shipping, industrial and tourism centre of Mexico.

It boasts one of the best natural harbours in the world and covers 90 hectares, divided among 6 wharves.

It serves the agricultural hinterland and exports cash crops like cotton, vegetables, wheat, corn, soy, livestock, furniture, and metals like copper, magnetite, and gypsum.

It also deals with general cargo, such as wood, steel, and RORO, and liquids, including petroleum, diesel, sulfuric acid, ammonia, and fish oil.

Although many seafood processing plants are present near the port, overfishing and decreasing freshwater levels in the Colorado River have put considerable strain on the port’s fisheries.

8. Port of Topolobampo

Topolobampo is located on the western coast of Mexico in a highly fertile agricultural zone that produces more than half of the country’s agricultural output.

Hence, wheat, soy, sorghum, vegetables, and fruits comprise the majority of exports, followed by livestock. It has 4 private terminals for handling general cargo, containers, oil products, LPG, and ammonia.

Topolobampo has more than 10 berthing facilities and 5 fishing wharves covering 600 m with an alongside depth of 6 m for accommodating fishing vessels.

This port handles approximately 1,000 ships and 185,000 passengers annually. It handled 410,000 metric tonnes in 2022.

It is connected to northern Mexico through the Chihuahua Pacific railroad and has trading partners worldwide, including Japan, Singapore, Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the Americas.

9. Port of Mazatlan

Mazatlan, which means ‘Place of Deer’ in Nahuatl, was a small fishing village before the commencement of port expansion in the late 1990s.

Today, it is a bustling port with maritime trade links with Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Situated in the State of Sinaloa in western Mexico, Mazatlan Port handled 300,000 tonnes in 2022, including 33,314 TEUs the same year.

Puerto de Mazatlán’s economy rests on agro-based industries like food processing, fish meal, and brewing. However, industrial cargoes such as rolled steel, containers, and automobiles are also received at the port.

It has 12 berthing facilities and a total quay length of 1426 m, which can handle general cargo vessels, container ships, tankers, and ferries.

A popular resort town on the Pacific Coast, it is known for its golden sand beaches and picturesque waterfront overlooking the international cruise terminal. It possesses the second-biggest commercial fishing fleet in Mexico and boasts a thriving fishing industry.

It has a 2500 m long and 12 m deep access channel capable of accommodating ships with an LOA of 300 m. Puerto de Mazatlán contains six warehouses covering 15,000 m2 for storing loose cargo, two yards for keeping automobiles and a 90,000 m2 cold shed.

10. Port of Ensenada

Ensenada port is located near Todos Santos Bay off the Pacific Ocean in the northern part of Mexico, in the state of Baja California.

Due to its advantageous position near the US border and the Pacific Rim, it has access to crucial international shipping routes, linking it with 64 ports in 29 countries.

It covers 9000 square miles and contains 6 multipurpose wharves for handling all types of cargo.

The port city is a renowned holiday destination adorned with luxury hotels, vacation homes, gorgeous beaches and finger-licking seafood restaurants.

Its economy also rests on agriculture and livestock rearing. Olives and grapes are produced in abundance, while the majority of cotton is exported to Asian countries and the United States.

Other export products include limestone, crushed rock, bagged stones and sand. Fertiliser is the main import arriving from Asia, Nicaragua and New Zealand.

With a large fishing fleet, the port is popular among sports fishers and commercial fishermen.

A multipurpose facility, it consists of shipyards and marinas for accommodating yachts and cruise ships.

This marine freight and cruise terminal handled 250,000 tonnes in 2022, up from 200,000 tonnes handled in 2021.

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

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