Mexico has several vital ports that are key nodes in its international trade. Mexico’s geographic location, with its extensive coastline of the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea, makes its ports important in global trade. Mexico’s ports are mainly located in two significant seas: the Pacific coast and the Gulf of Mexico coast. Mexico’s ports serve domestic trade and undertake a large amount of international trade, especially with the United States, Asia, and other Latin American countries between the import and export activities.

Top 8 ports in Mexico

Puerto de Manzanillo

• Location: Located on the west coast of Mexico, in Colima.
• Features: Puerto de Manzanillo is one of the busiest ports in Mexico and the most important on the Pacific coast. It handles a lot of containerized cargo, especially automobiles, electronics, and agricultural products. The port’s geographic location makes it a vital shipping gateway between Asia and the United States.
• Throughput: The Port of Manzanillo is the largest container port in Mexico and one of Latin America’s most important logistics hubs.

Puerto de Veracruz

• Location: Located on the east coast of Mexico, along the Gulf of Mexico, in Veracruz.
• Features: The Port of Veracruz is one of the most important ports in Mexico. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico and has an extensive shipping network. The port handles oil, chemicals, containers, and automotive cargo. It is one of the leading transportation links to the interior of Mexico.
• Throughput: The Port of Veracruz is one of the largest ports in the Gulf of Mexico region and the second largest container port in Mexico.

Puerto de Lázaro Cárdenas

• Location: Located on the Pacific coast in the state of Michoacán.
• Features: Puerto de Lázaro Cárdenas is a modern deep-water port capable of handling large cargo ships. It is an important industrial port in Mexico, handling mainly minerals, coal, containers, and bulk cargo. Its strategic location makes it an important trading hub on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
• Throughput: The Port of La Zarro Cardenas ranks third in Mexico regarding container throughput.

Puerto de Tampico

• Location: Located on the Gulf Coast in the state of Tamaulipas.
• Characteristics: Puerto de Tamaulipas is an essential port in the Gulf of Mexico region, handling oil, chemicals, and containerized cargo. It is a major export port for the Mexican oil industry and is an essential hub for trade with the United States and other Latin American countries.
• Throughput: The port is dominated by oil and chemical shipments but also handles a certain amount of containerized and other cargo.

Puerto de Acapulco

• Location: Located on the Pacific coast in the state of Guerrero.
• Characteristics: The Port of Acapulco has a long history and is a famous tourist port, mainly serving the cruise and tourism industries. Although its cargo throughput is not as high as that of other large ports, it is still an important transportation hub, especially regarding the movement between tourists and cargo.
• Throughput: The port has a small cargo throughput but plays a vital role in the tourism and cruise business.

Puerto de Huatulco

• Location: Located in the south of Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca.
• Characteristics: Puerto Halpa is a small port with a strong focus on tourism, especially as a port of call for cruise ships. The port has a significant impact on the regional economy as an important tourist destination, and the coastline near the port attracts a large number of tourists.
• Throughput: The port’s primary business is tourism and cruise ship transportation, with relatively little cargo throughput.

Puerto de Los Cabos

• Location: Located on the Baja California Sur.
• Features: Puerto de Los Cabos is a predominantly tourist port attracting many cruise ships and vessels. It also handles a certain amount of fishery products and other goods. The port provides the main entry point for tourists to the Los Cabos area.
• Throughput: The port’s throughput is focused on tourism, with relatively little cargo transportation.

Puerto de Topolobampo

• Location: Located in the state of Sinaloa, on the west coast.
• Characteristics: Puerto de Topira is an important port that handles agricultural products, fishery products, and other goods.