Mexico’s Ports Show Mixed Performance in March 2026

Mexico’s ports posted mixed results in March 2026. Container movement recovered, supported by Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas, while vehicle cargo continued to decline. The data points to resilient maritime trade, but with uneven performance across ports and cargo segments.

Mexico’s port system closed March 2026 with a mixed performance as containerized cargo recovered after a weaker February, but vehicle movements continued to decline and total cargo growth remained moderate. The results suggest that Mexico’s maritime trade is still being supported by the Pacific ports, especially Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas, while some Gulf ports and automotive terminals face weaker demand.

According to the Cumulative Monthly Statistics of Mexico’s Ports 2026 published by Mexico’s port authorities, the March report tracks cargo, vessels, passengers, petroleum products, containers, vehicles and cruise activity across the national port system. The official statistics are preliminary and cover accumulated performance through March 2026.

Mexico’s ports moved 59.05 million t of cargo between January and March 2026, reflecting a slight increase compared to the same period last year. The advance was mainly supported by import activity, which grew 4.1%, while other segments showed more uneven behavior.

Containers Recover After February Slowdown

In March, Mexican ports moved 816,170 TEUs, a 3.1% increase compared to March 2025. This marked a recovery after February, when container activity had fallen 4.9% year over year. In the accumulated 1Q26, container movement reached 2.33 million TEUs, up 2.3% from the same period of 2025.

The recovery, however, was not evenly distributed as Manzanillo remained Mexico’s main container gateway, handling 342,110 TEUs in March and accounting for 42% of the national total. Lazaro Cardenas showed the strongest momentum among major ports, with 247,009 TEUs, a 29.2% annual increase.

By contrast, several ports on the Gulf and smaller container nodes posted declines. Altamira moved 69,919 TEUs, down 15.4% year over year, while Veracruz handled 97,129 TEUs, a 5.9% decline. Coatzacoalcos also contracted sharply, with 994 TEUs, down 43.8% from March 2025.

Manzanillo moved 1.01 million TEUs between January and March, a 2.9% increase and a record for the port during that period. Lazaro Cardenas followed with 685,412 TEUs, up 15%.

The March data also shows a key distinction with the growth in TEUs not necessarily meaning growth in tonnage. Manzanillo posted a record in containers during the first quarter, but its commercial cargo by weight fell 1.6%, reaching 7.19 million t between January and March. Including petroleum products, total cargo also declined 1.6%, to 7.54 million t.

Automotive Cargo Remains Under Pressure

The weakest area in March was vehicle movement. Mexican ports handled 184,829 vehicles, down 3.5% from March 2025. This followed a much sharper 20.9% decline in February, showing that the automotive port segment had not fully recovered by the end of the first quarter.

The performance varied sharply by port. Veracruz showed the sharpest growth, moving 82,185 vehicles, a 33.2% annual increase. Tuxpan also grew 15.8%, with 3,804 vehicles. However, other major automotive ports fell: Mazatlan dropped 46.6%, Altamira declined 27.1%, and Lazaro Cardenas fell 8.6%.

In the 1Q26 vehicle movement totaled 441,765 units, down 4% from the same period of 2025. Veracruz was again the only major port with positive accumulated growth, rising 22.3% to 171,598 units.