The nearshoring phenomenon has increased the import of goods, but waiting times in the logistics chain, especially in customs procedures, remain high.
In the first five months of the year, merchandise imports increased by 13% on the Pacific coast and 9% in the Gulf of Mexico. However, a study by Mexico’s National Customs Agency reveals that in May the average waiting time to pick up goods at the main ports was 4 hours and 57 minutes, of which customs procedures took 2 hours and 42 minutes ( 54%).
The unloading maneuvers took an average of 1 hour and 5 minutes (22%), and the waiting time was 1 hour and 11 minutes (24%).
The study, carried out in collaboration with motor transportation and GPS companies, with the support of G21, shows that the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán has the longest waiting time, followed by Altamira in Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Manzanillo in Colima. The latter, which handles 45% of the import containers that arrive in Mexico, recorded the shortest time for the removal of merchandise.
Since June 1, the National Customs Agency implemented new hours at the port of Manzanillo: 24 hours a day, seven days a week for export activities, and from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for imports, with the aim of expedite the unloading of containers from Asia.
Manzanillo is the third busiest port in Latin America, with Lázaro Cárdenas in eighth place, while Veracruz and Altamira are in 14th and 18th place, respectively.
