One month after a four-day strike by customs workers at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo, cargo operations at the country’s busiest container gateway have yet to show any noticeable improvement, stakeholders say.
Despite ongoing efforts to clear out logjams triggered by the brief strike, berth waiting times for arriving vessels at Manzanillo have risen to their highest this year — 1.8 days, according to data from maritime visibility provider Vizion and data and analytics company Dun & Bradstreet.
Terminal operators had previously said they expected the congestion to clear by early June, but extended weekend hours at the port and an increase in customs personnel have not yet had an impact on the delays.
Carlos Tamayo, director of logistics in Mexico for logistics provider C.H. Robinson, told the Journal of Commerce that customers have seen delays of up to two weeks due to the congestion.
“Container throughput [at Manzanillo] has decreased by approximately 50% as a result of extended wait times for entering and exiting the port,” Tamayo said. “For freight that hasn’t shipped yet, we’re advising customers to move up bookings by at least three to four weeks and consider alternate ports like Lázaro Cárdenas.”
Shippers who use Manzanillo might face additional costs if they don’t meet their scheduled gate-out window due to congestion.
Details please refer to the JOC news.
Source: JOC