ANAM Customs Revenue Rebounds in March Amid 1Q26 Decline

ANAM reported a recovery in customs revenue during March 2026, driven by stronger maritime and inland customs performance. However, first-quarter figures remained down, with lower accumulated revenue and fewer pediments reflecting continued pressure across Mexico’s customs network.

Mexico’s customs revenue rebounded in March 2026, reaching MX$115.61 billion (US$6.64 billion) in cash-flow revenue, a 3.1% real annual increase, according to figures from the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM). The recovery followed two months of weaker performance, when customs revenue had fallen and key ports lost momentum, according to previous ANAM data. 

The March results suggest a partial recovery in Mexico’s foreign trade operations, although the accumulated figures for the first quarter still point to pressure on customs revenue. Between January and March 2026, ANAM collected MX$323.20 billion (US$18.57 billion), representing a 7.9% real annual decline. The contraction was mainly driven by the Value Added Tax (VAT), which fell 17.7% to MX$211.94 billion (US$12.18 billion). In contrast, the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) rose 49.1% to MX$57.58 billion.

Operational activity also showed a mixed picture. In March, customs operations rose 3.8% year-on-year to 1.92 million procedures, while pediments increased 5.1% to 945,159 documents. However, in the accumulated January–March period, operations remained virtually flat at 5.25 million procedures, while pediments fell 1.9% to 2.58 million.

The recovery was not evenly distributed across customs categories. Maritime customs posted the strongest increase in March, with revenue rising 10.5% year-on-year to MX$58.52 billion (US$3.36 billion). Inland customs also advanced, growing 3% to MX$19.50 billion (US$1.12 billion). In contrast, northern border customs generated MX$37.30 billion (US$2.14 billion), a 6.8% annual decline, showing that land-border operations remain under pressure despite Mexico’s role as the United States’ top trading partner.

Performance among Mexico’s main customs offices was also uneven. Veracruz reported a 17% annual decline in March revenue, totaling MX$11.31 billion (US$649.80 million), while Nuevo Laredo, the country’s most important land trade gateway, fell 6.2% to MX$18.20 billion (US$1.05 billion). Manzanillo, Mexico’s leading container port, posted a marginal 1% increase to MX$15.05 billion (US$1.05 billion).

The March rebound comes at a critical moment for ANAM, which is seeking to strengthen customs control, digitalization, and trade facilitation. In April, the agency announced a new cooperation effort with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), aimed at reinforcing customs security, trade facilitation, and intelligence-sharing between Mexico and Canada. ANAM described the initiative as part of a broader effort to consolidate a safer and more efficient border framework.

The agency has also been under pressure to improve revenue collection and modernize operations. President Claudia Sheinbaum has linked customs modernization to higher fiscal revenue, while recent public remarks have emphasized digital processes and non-intrusive inspection technologies, including X-ray and gamma-ray systems, as tools to strengthen control without slowing cargo flows.