Recent Surge in Traffic in Latin American Powers! Slow Port Clearance! Traders Are under Pressure!

   According to foreign media, Mexico's logistics infrastructure is facing great challenges from the increase in international freight traffic. As shipments grow, Mexico's port capacity is at capacity, importers are waiting longer, and customs clearance is a major bottleneck. According to official port statistics, Mexican ports overall saw a 14.8 percent increase in throughput in the first eight months of this year, while Lazaro Cardenas saw a 28.7 percent surge in container throughput between January and September. The increase in traffic has brought the average detention time of imported containers to 11 days, far more than the seven-day free period, after which demurrage fees are incurred.

   In September, container pickup times at Mexico's four major ports improved, averaging 4 hours and 44 minutes. Customs took the longest time, averaging 2 hours and 19 minutes, loading and unloading took 1 hour and 3 minutes, while truck drivers waited an average of 1 hour and 22 minutes. At the port of Lazaro Cardenas, it took truckers an average of six hours to pick up a container last month, with nearly half of that time (2.9 hours) taken up by customs procedures.

   It is unlikely that customs will work around the clock. Customs agencies attribute the inability to speed up clearance to a lack of manpower, making it difficult to operate 24 hours a day. On the plus side, container processing times at the port of Lazaro Cardenas have improved due to the upgrading of local customs resources. Still, further improvements are needed.

   The Latin American Federation of Customs Brokers said authorities should work to improve measures to facilitate the flow of goods and not just focus on national security. The industry should work together to develop solutions that can attract the attention of the authorities.

   At present, Mexico has become a hot land for Chinese enterprises to go to sea, and Mexico's import demand has also exploded. Despite the huge potential of the Mexican market, its complex import clearance process has been a hindrance for many traders and cross-border sellers, which has also made Mexican customs clearance known as "devil clearance".

   Here to remind the owners and forwarders related to the Mexican business, due to the complex customs clearance process in Mexico and low efficiency, it is also necessary to prepare complete and accurate customs clearance documents that meet the requirements when shipping, and timely communication. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the information of goods nodes in real time, and arrange the delivery of goods in time after customs clearance to avoid unnecessary costs.