Mexico has various ports and many rail connections link these ports directly to the northern and central parts of the main cities (Monterrey, Saltillo, Reynosa, Guadalajara, etc.) of Mexico. There are 28 seaports located on the Atlantic/Caribbean side, and 13 on the Pacific.
Top 5 Ports
1. Manzanillo is in the state of Colima and handles the Pacific Ocean cargo for the Mexico City area. Most imports destined for central Mexico come through the port and it acts as an important port for Asian importers and exporters. It is a major port for tuna fishing vessels and handles container, dry bulk, and liquid goods. 2019 TEU volume was 3,078,505.

Most of the port’s exports are shipped to neighboring United States, Canada, Guatemala, and Colombia, but also to farther off countries including Japan, China, India, Malaysia, and Singapore.

2. Lazaro Cardenas is the largest Mexican seaport and one of the largest global seaports in the Pacific. This deepwater seaport is equipped to accommodate post-Panamax vessels and handles containerized cargo, dry bulk, and liquid cargo. Its TEU volume in 2019 was 1,314,798.

Due to congestion at the US west coast ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the Port of Lazaro Cárdenas is sometimes used as an alternative gateway for shippers looking to reach US markets, making it an important container facility. The port is well-connected to Mexico City, located just some 620 km away, and the US through the Kansas City Southern de Mexico rail network.

3. Veracruz is located on the Atlantic and is the oldest and largest port of Mexico. It is a major shipping hub for the U.S. and European markets, as well as a major automobile port. 2019 TEU volume stood at 902,520. The port has many through connections via well-connected railways and highways, serving all of central and southern Mexico.

Given its strategic location on the Gulf, it provides ocean freight services to North, Central, and South America, Europe, and Africa.

4. Altamira is an important port for Mexico’s northwestern area, located in Tamaulipas on the Gulf of Mexico. It is accessible to all major regions by railway and has a big industrial park close to the port, making it a suitable location for oil and energy industries. The land routes and railroads connect the port directly to the northern and central parts of the country. This includes major cities such as Monterrey, Saltillo, Reynosa, Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Half of its cargo has origins and/or destinations in the port’s northern zones of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and Coahuila, whereas 28% go to or come from the central regions of San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Querétaro. 2019 TEU volume was 820,092

5. Ensanada is a deepwater port on the western coast of the Baja California region, just 110km from the US state of California. It has cargo and cruise terminals and handled 272,258 TEU on 2019. Most volume is from Asia, North America, and South America.
It is well connected though high volume, offering direct connections to the cities of Tijuana, Tecate, and Mexicali, which are major US border crossings.