Veracruz port on a rebound for Mexico’s vehicle throughput in 2026

Mexico’s Gulf Coast port of Veracruz has seen an increase in vehicle imports in the first ten months of this year, which has helped push numbers back up on the same period in 2025. However, the Pacific Coast port of Lázaro Cárdenas, which was Mexico’s busiest vehicle-handling port last year, continues to handle significant volumes of imports from Asia, despite Mexico’s tariffs on Chinese imports. 

The port of Veracruz processed more than 657,000 finished vehicles between January and October this year, up 2.2% on the same period in 2025 (642,745) and equal to an average of 2,100 vehicles moved a day. That increase was driven by a 7.1% increase in imports, according to the port authority. 

Veracruz has been able to support more efficient vehicle processing since significant investment in vehicle storage capacity in 2024. Together with the port authority terminal operators CSI Group and SSA Mexico invested $53 million to improve finished vehicle capacity and throughput, including additional capacity for more than 30,000 vehicles, bringing the total to more than 53,000 spaces over a total storage area of 66.2 hectares. That has helped to improve efficiency of operations.  

“[Veracruz] features specialised facilities for the storage and handling of vehicles, as well as value-added services for storage, distribution, washing, accessorisation and customisation of units,” said a spokesperson for the port authority. “These conditions allow us to serve different stages of the automotive logistics chain and offer comprehensive solutions to manufacturers, logistics operators and companies linked to the sector.”  

Those stages include road connections and rail services for finished vehicle transport provided by Ferrosur and Kansas City Southern de México (now part of the merged CPKC rail company), which link it with important production, consumption and distribution centres in the country, according to Caballero. The rail facilities now include a Logistics Bay storage facility, 4.5km from South Bay, where there is 184 hectares of land for vehicle storage with a double-track rail connection and renewable leases of 20 years. 

Lázaro Cárdenas takes a lead

In CY2025 the Veracruz port handled just over 770,000 units, putting it for the first time behind the port of Lázaro Cárdenas on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, which processed almost 805,000 vehicles. The US port of Brunswick also handled almost 779,000 vehicles over the calendar year, making it the second busiest vehicle-handling port in North America in 2025. 

Between January and September this year Lázaro Cárdenas moved more than 531,000 vehicles, which the port authority reports approximately tracking with last year’s performance. The majority of volumes moved between January and September this year were imports, accounting for with 74% of the units, mainly from China, Japan and South Korea. Exports accounted for 25%, and transhipment 1%. The main exporters from the port include General Motors, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and BMW.

In a statement the port authority of Lázaro Cárdenas said that the results at the end of September showed how “various productive and commercial sectors converge on a port infrastructure that is strategic for Mexico. Its activity drives the movement of goods and connects national supply chains with international markets.”

Lázaro Cárdenas port has two main vehicle terminal operators: SSA México (part of SSA Marine) and Amports. However, in October this year the port added a new shipping line from Japan – Eastern Car Liner. The vessel operator specialises in moving finished passenger and commercial vehicles, high and heavy units and project cargo. On its first call on October 24, the company’s vessel MV Malaysia Brave docked at Multipurpose Terminal II operated by LC Logistics to deliver 2,640 finished vehicles and 266 units of machinery, project cargo and buses.

Other vehicle-handling ports in Mexico include Altamira and Mazatlán, though there have been decreases recorded at vehicle terminals at these ports in 2026. Between January and September this year Altamira moved 310,025 units, a decrease of 10.6% compared to the same period in 2025. Earlier figures for January-May at Mazatlán showed a steep drop of 17.4% to 60,901 units.