While ports in the west are being improved and a new one is being planned, an old hand back east continues making waves

With 9,330 kilometers of Pacific and Gulf coastline that connects the U.S. with the rest of Latin America, it is no surprise that the newly elected Mexican administration is paying more attention to its seaports in an effort to convert the country into the logistics center of the western hemisphere. Ports on the west coast hope to help relieve the congestion that Long Beach and Los Angeles are suffering with the daily increase of trade with China and other Asian countries. The ports Lázaro Cardenas in Michoacán and Manzanillo in Colima are already being expanded, while a third port, Punta Colonet, is still in the planning stages. The site is located less than 100 miles south of San Diego and when built, will be Mexico’s largest and most modern port. Miguel Casanueva, president of the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents, strongly supports improving efficiency in all ports and increasing their competitiveness in the international market as "there shall be no international cargo without clear processes, consistent customs procedures and coordination among the authorities."

On Mexico's other coast, the eastern seaports are vital for both international and domestic cargo transport. Naviera Armamex is a well-oiled shipping company that is principally dedicated to the latter. With a large fleet of different types of ships that can carry petroleum, dry bulk and even oversized items such as transformers and towers, and with a wide range of services ranging from salvage and harbor towage to offshore services, Armamex is an experienced and highly trusted presence in the Gulf of Mexico.

Due to the upwards land curve of the Yucatán Peninsula, shipping rather than driving between the mainland and the Yucatán can shorten the route by 1,800 kilometers and can spare all complications that land travel implies. A shipping “bridge” between the company's own facilities in Tampico and Progreso was created several decades ago by Armamex’s president and general director, Rodolfo Mora Cordero. "Traffic is heavy along these routes as Tampico’s neighbor, Monterrey, is a center of production whose products are distributed around the peninsula," states Mr. Mora. Moreover, Armamex has a close working relationship with PEMEX and other petroleum companies, and is one of their main transporters all along the Gulf coast. Mr. Mora Cordero, a former professor of technology at the Institute of Technology of Ciudad Madero, has built up the company and its facilities over the years with mostly private funding, and is open to forming future partnerships. Despite his advanced age, he is still actively pursuing interests in other industries such as tourism, as well as expanding Armamex's portfolio to include river dredging.