Mexican Port Cargo Fell 8.8% in 2025 as Cruises Rose 12%

Mexico’s ports ended 2025 with a mixed performance: cargo volumes fell notably, but container activity held up and passenger traffic, especially cruises, accelerated. These changes highlight a year in which trade-linked flows softened while tourism and some domestic maritime movements gained momentum. According to the federal government’s January-December 2024–2025 preliminary port statistics, Mexico handled 248.7 million t of maritime cargo in 2025, an 8.8% decline from 2024.

Bulk and Energy Cargo Drove the Decline

The biggest drag came from commodities that tend to swing with global energy and industrial cycles. Petroleum and derivatives totaled 89.1 million t, down 13.4%, while mineral bulk fell 13.6% to 41.2 million t. General cargo also slipped 8.7% to 29.8 million t. In practical terms, that profile points to a year in which bulk and energy-linked volumes, often associated with large, high-tonnage shipments, were weaker than the year before, pulling the national total down even as other segments were steadier.

A closer look at trade types suggests the slowdown was sharper in international flows than in domestic maritime activity. Cargo moved in foreign trade (altura) reached 196.8 million t, down 11.6%, while coastal shipping (cabotage) increased 3.7% to 51.9 million t. This split can indicate different underlying drivers: global demand and international shipping networks weigh more heavily on altura volumes, while cabotage tends to reflect internal distribution, regional supply needs, and short-haul coastal logistics that can be supported by domestic consumption and local industry patterns

Container operations painted a more resilient picture than total tonnage. Measured in TEUs, ports handled 9.5 million TEUs in 2025, up 1.6% from 2024. The mix shifted, however. Loaded containers totaled 5.98 million TEUs, while empty containers rose to 3.5 million TEUs. An increase in empty units can reflect repositioning needs within shipping networks, containers being moved to where exporters will need them, rather than pure demand growth, but the overall TEU performance suggests that containerized trade remained comparatively stable even as bulk categories weakened.

Top Cargo Ports in 2025

Port calls also eased. The report shows 27,496 vessels and ferries attended in 2025, down 3.1% from 2024. A decline in ship calls typically aligns with lower tonnage and fewer bulk movements, though it can also reflect operational changes such as larger vessels carrying more cargo per call or shifts in routing and scheduling.

Top ports by total cargo volume in 2025, were led by Manzanillo with 29.8 million t, followed by Lazaro Cardenas with 274 million t, Veracruz with 25.0 million t, and Altamira with 18.5 million t.  Among the next tier, ports like Tuxpan with 4.8 million t, Coatzacoalcos with 5.7 million t, and Progreso with 4.2 million t underscore how Gulf and southeast gateways remain critical for specific industrial and energy-linked supply chains, even in a year when total tonnage softened.

Customs Revenue Rose, Led by Maritime Ports

Even as port tonnage and some activity indicators softened, customs-linked tax collection stayed strong through most of 2025, suggesting that higher declared values and a different tax mix helped offset lower transaction counts. Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) reported MX$1.32 trillion (US$73.46 billion) in cash-flow revenue from foreign trade operations in January–November 2025, representing 14.3% real growth versus the same period of 2024, MBN reports.

Within maritime customs, the largest collectors were Manzanillo with MX$169.20 billion (US$9.42 billion), Veracruz with MX$129.84 billion (US$7.23 billion), and Lazaro Cardenas with MX$121.32 billion (US$6.75 billion). Tuxpan stood out at MX$85.50 billion (US$4.76 billion), with a 135.1% real increase year over year.

Cruise Tourism Surged, Led by the Caribbean

Where the year clearly strengthened was passenger activity. Mexico received 3,156 cruise calls in 2025, up 10.7%, and welcomed 11.2 million cruise passengers, up 12.0%, with an average of 3,541 passengers per cruise. The Gulf–Caribbean continued to dominate volumes with 7.6 million passengers, while the Pacific reached 3.6 million. Flagship destinations included Cozumel with 4.7 million passengers, Mahahual with 2.4 million passengers, and Ensenada with 1.3 million passengers, underscoring how a handful of high-capacity ports anchor Mexico’s cruise economy.

Coastal passenger transport also grew in frequency, with 66,548 coastal trips (representing an increase of 6.0%) and 9.3 million passengers (representing an increase of 2.8%). Taken together with cruise growth, the data suggests that while 2025 was a down year for certain heavy cargo streams, ports simultaneously benefited from strong demand in tourism-related maritime activity and steady container performance, setting a different set of priorities for operators and service providers heading into 2026.