Exploring Mexican ports: Veracruz in focus

We are pleased to explore Mexican ports, particularly Veracruz, and share valuable insights from the Esgian Shipping Suite for RoRo. This analysis serves as a showcase of the data our clients can access from the Esgian Shipping Suite for RoRo, focusing on port activities including port waiting time, carrier portfolio, and port development.

Here are the key findings and a snapshot of our latest analysis, covering Mexico and Veracruz from 2021 to September 2024:

Mexico – An Overview:

• Mexico is a major automotive manufacturing hub, with a strong presence of legacy automakers from Europe, US and Japan, leading to a strong export focus, along with considerable imports.
• By September 2024, 769 deep sea (DS) car carriers made calls, 11.5% more than the same period in 2023, at seven active RoRo ports in Mexico.
• Acapulco has recorded zero deep sea activity since Dream Diamond (WalWil) called in May 2021 ex Korea.
• Conversely, Tuxpan saw a 132% increase in port calls in September 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
• In terms of market share, there is one major port on each coast: Veracruz on the East Coast (EC) with 32% and Lazaro Cardenas on the West Coast (WC) with 28% of all DS activity in 2024. Altamira is a strong runner-up with 184 calls, securing a 24% market share.

Veracruz in focus:

• Veracruz has a diversified client portfolio with 15 deep-sea carriers making calls in the past four years, led by MOL in market share.
• The average port time across all Mexican ports in the last 13 months was 1.6 days, with Veracruz showing 14% longer vessel turnaround time vs the national average
• In 2024, Veracruz’s port waiting time improved significantly, recovering faster than the national average.
• Volkswagen Logistics lost 36.5 days across 22 calls, while Wallenius Wilhelmsen lost only 10.8 days across 30 calls in 2024.
• Veracruz is a key port for Mexico-Europe trade, with Volkswagen Logistics leading in port call frequency and showing an upward trend.

Discover how the Esgian Shipping Suite for RoRo can provide actionable insights into the latest RoRo trends. Reach out to us at shipping@esgian.com for more information!

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Image credit: Port of Veracruz