MSC Adds Sierra Service to Expand Asia-Mexico Connectivity

MSC’s new Sierra Service connects Northeast Asia with Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas, adding maritime capacity and routing options for Mexico’s importers and exporters.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has expanded its maritime network between Northeast Asia and Mexico with the launch of the Sierra Service at CONTECON Manzanillo. The new route adds capacity and sailing options through Mexico’s two principal Pacific container ports, Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas, as shipping lines respond to growing trade flows between Asia and Mexico.

The inaugural call of the MSC Domitille marked the start of the service at CONTECON Manzanillo, according to an official announcement from International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), the terminal’s parent company. The Sierra Service is MSC’s second dedicated Far East-Mexico route and is intended to provide importers, exporters and logistics providers with greater frequency and supply chain flexibility.

The service follows the rotation Qingdao, Tianjin, Busan, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas, and Qingdao. The route links major manufacturing and export centers in China and South Korea with Mexico’s Pacific coast, giving customers additional access to Northeast Asian markets. 

CONTECON Strengthens Capacity and Connectivity

CONTECON Manzanillo says the launch comes as the terminal advances the fourth phase of its expansion project, which is focused on increasing capacity and supporting sustained growth in cargo volumes at the Port of Manzanillo. “The arrival of this service reflects our commitment to strengthening the terminal’s operational capabilities and creating the conditions for greater connectivity,” says José Antonio Contreras, CEO, CONTECON Manzanillo, in the ICTSI announcement.

Contreras adds that the terminal aims to reinforce Manzanillo’s position as a preferred gateway for shipping companies and international trade while providing customers with more efficient and reliable access to strategic markets.

Manzanillo handled more than 1.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units between January and May 2026, according to data cited by ICTSI from the Manzanillo National Port System Administration (ASIPONA). The volume reinforces the port’s role as Mexico’s largest containerized cargo gateway and one of the main entry points for merchandise arriving from Asia.

The Sierra Service also reinforces the complementary role of Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico’s Pacific port system. Both ports are included in the route, allowing MSC to distribute capacity across two gateways connected with Mexico’s principal industrial and consumer markets.

MSC Builds on Previous Asia-Mexico Expansion

The new service builds on MSC’s earlier expansion of its Asia-Mexico network. As previously reported by MBN, the shipping company introduced an additional shuttle service in 2024 to increase coverage and frequency between Asia and Mexico’s west coast.

That service followed the rotation Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas, and Qingdao. MSC said at the time that the route complemented its Andes, Aztec, Inca and Santana services, expanding its broader network between Asia and Latin America. The first sailing departed Qingdao aboard the MSC Apollo in May 2024.

MSC continued expanding the trade lane later that year with the launch of the Dahlia Service. Dahlia connected Shekou, Xiamen, Shanghai, and Busan with Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas, while MSC modified its existing Mexicas Service by adding Tianjin Xingang to its rotation.

The Dahlia route was introduced to provide additional capacity for cargo moving from Asia to Mexico’s west coast, particularly from manufacturing centers in southern China. Together, Dahlia and the modified Mexicas Service increased the number of weekly connections available between Asian ports and Mexico.

The Sierra Service further develops this strategy by adding another connection focused on northern China and South Korea. Its calls at Qingdao, Tianjin and Busan provide direct access to key industrial areas involved in the production and export of automotive components, electronics, machinery and consumer goods.

The expansion of direct maritime services reflects the growing importance of Asia in Mexico’s supply chains. Although nearshoring has encouraged companies to move some production closer to the North American market, manufacturers operating in Mexico continue to depend on Asian machinery, components and raw materials.

Additional services can provide companies with more routing alternatives, reduce dependence on individual weekly sailings and improve their ability to respond to disruptions or sudden changes in demand. The Sierra Service also gives Mexican exporters another option for reaching Asian markets through Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas.

While MSC has not published a separate newsroom announcement dedicated to Sierra, the launch was officially confirmed by ICTSI and CONTECON Manzanillo. The service forms part of MSC’s broader effort to expand its Asia-Mexico network and increase capacity along a trade corridor that has gained strategic importance for Mexico’s manufacturing and logistics sectors.