Mexico Auto Ports See First Post-Pandemic Decline in 2025

Mexico’s automotive ports handled 2.26 million vehicles in 2025, down 1.3% from the previous year, reflecting weaker exports and a rebalancing of logistics flows between the Pacific and Gulf–Caribbean regions, according to official data from the Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR), INEGI, and analysis by T21 Business Intelligence.

The port results unfolded during a mixed year for Mexico’s automotive industry. While vehicle production rebounded in December, full-year output and exports declined, ending a three-year post-pandemic growth streak and reshaping maritime vehicle flows across the country’s main ports.

From January to December 2025, Mexican ports moved 2,262,289 vehicles in overseas maritime traffic, compared with 2,291,894 units in 2024. The decline was driven by lower export volumes, even as imports increased through Pacific terminals. December offered a contrasting snapshot: vehicle movements surged 43.9% year over year to 228,210 units, highlighting short-term recovery dynamics that were insufficient to offset the full-year contraction.

Production data showed a similar pattern. INEGI reported that Mexico produced 243,961 vehicles in December 2025, an annual increase of 8.5%. However, cumulative production for the year totaled 3,953,494 units, down 0.9% from 2024, or 35,989 fewer vehicles. Export performance weakened more sharply. December exports fell 14.6% year over year to 227,262 units, while full-year exports declined 2.7% to 3,385,785 vehicles, a drop of 93,301 units. This marked the end of three consecutive years of export growth following the COVID-19 pandemic.

These trends were mirrored in regional port activity. Pacific ports posted growth in 2025, handling 977,480 vehicles, up 16.2% from 841,104 units a year earlier. The increase was driven primarily by imports, which rose from 603,164 units in 2024 to 784,838 units in 2025. Exports through Pacific ports declined over the same period, falling from 237,940 to 192,642 units.

Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacan, consolidated its position as Mexico’s leading automotive port. In December alone, the port handled 104,119 vehicles, a 161.4% increase  year over year. For the full year, Lázaro Cárdenas moved 804,221 vehicles, representing growth of 19.1%. Mazatlan, Sinaloa, also expanded activity, handling 23,799 units in December, up 162.4%, and closing the year with 172,359 vehicles, a 4.7% annual increase.

In contrast, the Gulf–Caribbean region recorded a contraction. Ports in this corridor handled 1,284,809 vehicles in 2025, down 11.4% from 1,450,790 units in 2024. The decline was driven mainly by lower exports, which fell from 1,154,084 units to 987,006 units, while imports remained broadly stable at around 298,000 units.

Veracruz remained the largest port in the Gulf–Caribbean region, processing 770,151 vehicles in 2025, a 9.5% decrease from the prior year. December volumes in Veracruz totaled 60,231 units, showing little change from December 2024. Altamira, Tamaulipas, moved 38,082 vehicles in December, down 21.2%, and closed the year with 475,437 units, a 7.7% decline. Tuxpan, Veracruz, posted mixed results: December volumes rose 73.6% to 1,979 units, but annual traffic fell sharply to 38,321 vehicles, a 54.9% drop from 2024.

In December, Lázaro Cárdenas accounted for 45.6% of all vehicles moved through Mexican ports, followed by Veracruz with 26.4%, Altamira with 16.7%, Mazatlan with 10.4%, and Tuxpan with 0.9%.