Tariffs and Customs Enforcement
SAT and ANAM Extend Mandatory MVE Compliance to September 30, 2026
On August 31, 2026, the Tax Administration Service (SAT) and the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) extended the mandatory compliance date for the Electronic Value Manifestation (MVE) until September 30, 2026, with full enforceability as of October 1, 2026, according to the preliminary version of the 2026 General Foreign Trade Rules (RGCE).
The MVE replaces the printed E2 format and is transmitted through the VUCEM platform.
Importers must submit in digitized form the supporting file for each transaction, including invoices, contracts, Incoterms and proofs of payment, so that the customs authorities can perform cross-checks and determine taxes before the cargo arrives at the port.
The same day, México Industry reported that SAT's automated enforcement requirements are forcing companies in the manufacturing sector to integrate their accounting and foreign trade data systems.
Strict reconciliation is required among Digital Tax Receipts over the Internet (CFDI), purchase orders, payments, plant inventories and customs inventories linked to import pedimentos and IMMEX programs.
THE LOGISTICS WORLD and ANAM reported that Mexican customs reached a record collection of more than 131,000 million pesos in July 2026, an increase of 8.7% compared with June 2026 and of 5.4% versus July 2025.
The accumulated total from January to July 2026 reached 790,000 million pesos.
ANAM highlighted its intelligent risk management model based on advance digitization of information and data analysis, along with the implementation of electronic files and the MVE to improve traceability and documentary fiscalization, supported by 25 customs cooperation agreements in force.
Tariffs on China Cut Imports as USMCA Review Focuses on Transshipment and Origin
Mexico's Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard reported that imports of Chinese goods under the tariff package of 5% to 50% on 1,463 HS Codes, effective since January 1, 2026, fell 28.4% year-on-year from January to May 2026, dropping from 10,099 million dollars in 2025 to 7,228 million dollars.
Total imports in those categories from countries without an FTA declined 23.2% to 11,808 million dollars.
Sector declines included footwear at 59.1%, trailers at 48.1%, motorcycles at 48%, light automobiles at 35%, household appliances at around 27%, and textiles at 13.9%.
Chinese automobile imports fell 31.1% to 158,571 units in the first half of 2026, with overall Chinese shipments under the tariffed codes down 26.3% to 8,869 million dollars.
In the first half of 2026, Chinese vehicle imports from firms without Mexican plants dropped 65.4%, auto parts fell 46.9% from 1,693 million to 899 million dollars, and light vehicles decreased 35.4% from 3,344 million to 2,159 million dollars.
Ebrard defended the measures at the Morena plenary on August 31, 2026, as necessary to protect nearly 350,000 jobs under the Sheinbaum administration's Plan México.
China's Ministry of Commerce labeled the tariffs trade barriers and reserved the right to countermeasures affecting over 30 billion dollars in exports, with projected losses up to 9.4 billion dollars in mechanical, electrical, and automotive sectors.
A separate analysis noted overall Chinese imports grew 5.23% to 42.85 billion dollars from January to April 2026 due to a stronger peso.
Automotive financing for Chinese brands fell 12.6 percentage points to 58.5% from January to July 2026, yet sales grew 21.5% to 17% market share from pre-tariff inventory.
On August 31, 2026, Ebrard stated rules of origin will become the main trade dispute axis in 2027 amid USMCA review, with Mexico issuing 3,614 “Hecho en México” certificates and negotiations tightening origin rules for autos to reduce Asian input dependence.
U.S. concerns over China-Mexico transshipment shaped the USMCA joint review starting July 1, 2026, shifting to bilateral talks with rounds in July and September 2026.
The port of Lázaro Cárdenas saw growth in Asian and Chinese container transshipment to Central/South America and the U.S. east coast, with APM Terminals investing 350 million dollars for expansion and reporting 35% TEU growth to 684,599 in the first half of 2026, including 416,102 transshipment TEUs.
Ports and Canal Logistics
Asian Port Congestion Pushes Up Freight Rates
On August 31, 2026, Linerlytica published its Week 35 market report. Typhoon Saudel severely disrupted terminal operations at Ningbo and Shanghai. Vessel delays exceeded 10 days in the worst cases.
Global port congestion tied up 3.92 million TEU at anchorages, representing 11.4% of the containership fleet.
On the same day, Sea-Intelligence published data showing that all 14 of Asia’s busiest container ports posted weaker schedule reliability in July 2026 because of typhoons and terminal delays. Reliability stood at 21% at Shanghai, 34.6% at Ningbo, 43.2% at Singapore and 48.3% at Yantian.
Linerlytica estimated containership capacity waiting to berth worldwide at more than 4.3 million TEU.
Global Trade Magazine reported that global containership capacity queued at ports reached more than 4.3 million TEU, surpassing the 4.0 million TEU absolute volume peak recorded during the 2022 COVID pandemic. Stranded capacity represented 12.6% of the global containership fleet.
Sea-Intelligence estimated that delays absorb 6.6% of the global fleet, or 2.3 million TEU. Port congestion at Asian hubs continues to absorb 2.3 million TEU, leaving 6.6% of the global fleet unavailable, compared with about 5% in June 2026.
Severe port congestion in East Asia after seasonal storms has left Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) spot rates 156% above pre-Iran conflict levels and is supporting those elevated rates.
Ocean carriers are progressively rerouting services back to the Suez Canal.
Panama Canal Transit Slot Reservations
On August 31, 2026, FreightWaves reported that South Korea’s SK Gas Ltd. bid a record $5.3 million in a Panama Canal transit auction for the LPG carrier G. Spirit. The bid secured a northbound transit slot on September 1, 2026.
The vessel transits toward the Houston Ship Channel to load LPG for delivery to East Asia.
The winning bid tops the previous record of $4.6 million set earlier in August 2026 by SK Shipping.
Unreserved vessels currently face transit waits of up to 11 days. Average northbound delays exceeded 10 days over the preceding 28 days.
The Panama Canal Authority previously announced drought restrictions reducing total daily transits to 34 in early September 2026 and 32 later in the month. Neopanamax daily transits are capped at nine slots.
On the same day, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced temporary modifications to its Transit Reservation (Booking) System for Neo-Panamax vessels. The changes aim to provide greater flexibility amid ongoing drought restrictions and heightened demand.
The modifications took effect on August 30, 2026 for booking dates starting September 13, 2026. Individual customers may secure more than one booking slot on the same date and book slots across consecutive dates.
ACP will allocate a weekly quota of 63 Neo-Panamax booking slots. Container ships will receive at least five slots per booking date based on Transit Teu Allowance (TTA). LPG and LNG segments will each receive at least three daily slots based on customer classification. Car carriers/ro-ro, bulkers and other vessel types will share a minimum of three weekly slots.
Draught restrictions remain unchanged. Planned daily transit reductions from 36 to 34 transits starting September 3, 2026 also remain unchanged.
Shipping Emissions Reduction Negotiations
IMO Net-Zero Framework Negotiations Resume
On August 31, 2026, negotiations on the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) for international shipping resumed ahead of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 22) session in London from September 1 to 4, 2026.
The talks focus on finalizing policy details for a Global Fuel Standard (GFS) and an industry-wide carbon pricing mechanism projected to generate $10 billion to $15 billion annually.
During previous negotiations at MEPC 84, 55 nations supported the NZF as drafted, while 51 sought major revisions or elimination of the carbon levy.
Delegations from member states including Tuvalu, Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, Brazil, Liberia, and Japan have submitted competing proposals ahead of formal adoption talks scheduled for MEPC 85 in late 2026.
On the same day, the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) issued a statement via President Lukas Leppert calling on member states to maintain support for adopting the NZF at December's MEPC 85 (MEPC 85/ES.2).
The coalition urged delegations to reject competing alternative proposals, specifically identifying a submission by Liberia that proposes replacing the IMO Fund-based carbon pricing and GFS mechanisms with transferable Surplus Units.
More News
Colima-Manzanillo highway widening causes delays of up to 20 hours for transporters
The widening of the Colima-Manzanillo highway, particularly on the La Salada stretch, is generating delays of between 18 and 20 hours for double-trailer trucks traveling between the Port of Manzanillo and Guadalajara, compared with the usual travel time of approximately 5 hours.
The increase in transit times is due to the reduction of lanes, queues of several kilometers, and saturation at the port accesses.
In July 2026, transporters reported waits of 12 to 13 hours stopped on that logistics corridor.
Prior Import Permit procedure for sugar and food preparations enabled in VUTCE
As of August 31, 2026, Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy enabled in the Single Window for Foreign Trade Procedures (VUTCE / VUCEM) the procedure for entering information on Prior Import Permits for sugar and food preparations.
The authority determined that as of September 28, 2026, declaring the permit number obtained in the pedimento will be mandatory to carry out customs clearance of the goods subject to this regulation.
The requirement is in accordance with the Agreement published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on May 28, 2026.
ICTSI opens Manzanillo terminal to 24,000 TEU ships
On August 31, 2026, International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) received approval for its Contecon Manzanillo terminal at the Port of Manzanillo in Mexico and announced that its Mexican terminal operator Contecon Manzanillo S.A. de C.V. (CMSA) received official authorization to handle vessels drawing up to 15.5 meters of draft.
The approval makes it the only terminal at the port authorized for that draft and the only terminal operator at the port with this capability.
The approval permits the terminal to accommodate ships up to 400 meters long and ultra-large containerships of up to 24,000 TEU, and allows the terminal to serve ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) up to 400 meters in length carrying up to 24,000 TEUs.
Port authority Administración del Sistema Portuario Nacional Manzanillo (ASIPONA Manzanillo) is conducting ongoing dredging and basin-conditioning works. The approval follows those works.
Simultaneously, ICTSI is advancing Phase 3B of the terminal’s expansion, and CMSA is currently executing Phase 3B of its expansion program, which will add 227 meters of quay, two quay cranes, and nine rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes.
Contecon Manzanillo currently operates with an annual capacity of approximately 1.8 million TEU. Phase 3B is projected to increase annual handling capacity to 2 million TEU, with a target operational draft of 17 meters at the new berths.
ICTSI scales up Mexico terminal for bigger ships
On August 31, 2026, International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) announced that its Mexican subsidiary Contecon Manzanillo S.A. de C.V. (CMSA), operating the Second Specialized Container Terminal (TEC-II) at the Port of Manzanillo in Colima, Mexico, secured regulatory approval to serve vessels with operational drafts of up to 15.5 meters.
The clearance makes CMSA the first and only terminal operator at the Port of Manzanillo authorized to receive ultra-large container vessels measuring up to 400 meters in length with capacities up to 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
CMSA is targeting a 17-meter operational draft at its new berths in subsequent stages.
Under its Phase 3B expansion program, CMSA is adding 227 meters of quay, two quay cranes, and nine rubber-tired gantries (RTGs) to lift annual container capacity from 1.8 million TEUs to 2 million TEUs.
The terminal currently operates 12 quay cranes and 43 rubber-tired gantries, and handled over 1.7 million TEUs during the January–May 2026 period.
ANAM and UNAM combine capabilities to modernize the Central Customs Laboratory
On August 31, 2026, the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) and the Faculty of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) formalized a Collaboration Agreement to develop the Executive Project for the Modernization of the Central Customs Laboratory, officialized through Joint Press Release 65/2026.
The Executive Project will have an estimated duration of nine months to define the architectural layout, engineering, equipment, and costs of the works.
The Central Customs Laboratory analyzes samples of goods from the customs offices to determine their nature and HS Code, as well as to verify that they correspond with what was declared in foreign trade operations.
The project contemplates the expansion of work areas and the incorporation of specialized analytical technology in chromatography, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, spectroscopy, X-rays, hydrocarbon analysis, bromatology, and specialized microscopy.
Over 22,000 Chinese-origin products seized at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo in IP enforcement action
On August 31, 2026, a joint enforcement operation conducted by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), and the Office of the Attorney General (FGR) at the CONTECON customs facility in the Port of Manzanillo, Colima, resulted in the seizure of more than 22,000 gaming-related products imported from China.
The seized merchandise comprised two key consignments: 7,650 SONY-branded gaming controllers and 15,300 PlayStation-branded items, with a total estimated value of approximately 2.295 million Mexican pesos.
The items were detained due to trademark confusion and potential intellectual property violations rather than outright counterfeiting.
The goods were transferred to IMPI facilities in Mexico City for safekeeping while investigations remain ongoing.
Over 22,000 Chinese-origin gaming products seized at Manzanillo over trademark confusion
On August 31, 2026, a joint enforcement operation conducted by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), and the Office of the Attorney General (FGR) at the CONTECON customs facility in the Port of Manzanillo resulted in the seizure of over 22,000 gaming-related products imported from China due to trademark confusion concerns.
The seized items comprised two main consignments: 7,650 SONY-branded gaming controllers and 15,300 PlayStation-branded items, with a total estimated value of approximately 2.295 million Mexican pesos.
The seized cargo was transferred to IMPI facilities in Mexico City for ongoing investigative proceedings regarding intellectual property compliance on Asia-to-Mexico trade routes.
ANAM and UNAM sign agreement to modernize the Central Customs Laboratory
The Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (ANAM) and the Faculty of Architecture of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) formalized on August 31, 2026 a Collaboration Agreement to develop the Executive Project for the Modernization of the Central Customs Laboratory.
This laboratory analyzes samples of merchandise coming from the customs offices to determine their nature, composition and HS Code.
The intervention contemplates the utilization and expansion of the facilities, the modernization of security systems, environmental control, networks and specialized scientific equipment such as chromatography, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, spectroscopy, X-rays, hydrocarbon analysis, bromatology and specialized microscopy.
IPA terminal sellers initiate AAA arbitration against LOGISTEC over canceled Port of Altamira acquisition
On August 31, 2026, sellers Christian Hess Ratz, Jurgen Hess Ratz, and Steel Connect, B.V. announced the initiation of arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) against LOGISTEC Marine Services ULC and LOGISTEC Stevedoring Canada Inc.
The dispute follows LOGISTEC’s attempted termination on July 3, 2026 of its definitive purchase agreement signed on February 17, 2026 to acquire 100% of the IPA Steel Terminal located at the Port of Altamira, Mexico.
The targeted entity group includes Inmobiliaria Portuaria de Altamira, S. de R.L. de C.V., Altamira Terminal de Multiservicios, S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios y Maniobras de Altamira, S. de R.L. de C.V., and Steel Terminal Altamira, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Over 22,000 Chinese-origin products seized at CONTECON in Manzanillo IP operation
On August 31, 2026, an intellectual property enforcement operation at the CONTECON customs facility at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo resulted in the seizure of over 22,000 gaming-related products originating from China.
The joint operation was conducted by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), and the Office of the Attorney General (FGR).
IMPI reported two seized consignments flagged for potential trademark confusion: 7,650 SONY-branded gaming controllers and 15,300 PlayStation-branded items, total valued at approximately 2.295 million pesos.
The seized goods were transferred to IMPI facilities in Mexico City while investigations continue.
FedEx Mexico renews logistics collaboration agreement with Tabasco State
On September 1, 2026, Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Mexico) renewed its Collaboration Agreement with the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Development (SETUR) of the State of Tabasco.
Under the agreement, FedEx provides preferential rates and shipping discounts to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Tabasco to expand their logistics reach and support national and international exports.
The arrangement primarily targets markets in the United States and Canada via FedEx’s global logistics network.
USTR imposes Forced Labor Section 301 tariffs on global imports as Canada announces counter-tariffs
On August 31, 2026, details of global customs updates were analyzed. Under the U.S. Forced Labor Enforcement Section 301, a 10% additional tariff will apply to covered goods from 17 countries, including Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
A 10% or 12.5% duty (net of MFN rate) applies to goods from the EU, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland, while a 12.5% rate applies to other investigated economies.
These duties apply to covered goods entered for consumption on or after July 24, 2026, with exemptions for goods loaded before that date and entered by July 28, 2026.
Additionally, Canada announced "dollar-for-dollar" counter-tariffs of 15%, 25%, and 50% on approximately $27.6 billion of selected U.S.-origin goods (like steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp, paper, and electronics) to take effect on September 8, 2026.
These tariffs apply to goods qualifying as U.S.-origin under CUSMA marking rules, exempting goods in transit before September 8.
Switzerland’s Tares customs tariff is updated on September 1, 2026.
CMA CGM and CCCC Sign MoU for Logistics and Port Infrastructure Collaboration
On August 31, 2026, CMA CGM and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen collaboration in port infrastructure development, multimodal logistics, digital innovation, and energy transition initiatives across emerging markets, including Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
The agreement combines CCCC’s engineering and construction capacity—including subsidiaries ZPMC and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC)—with CMA CGM’s shipping liner network, terminal assets, and CEVA Logistics subsidiary.
The two parties agreed to jointly evaluate integrated supply chain projects such as logistics corridors, dry ports, inland platforms, container depots, and warehouses to strengthen hinterland connectivity for seaport gateways.
CMA CGM and CEVA Logistics may provide maritime and project logistics support for CCCC’s overseas infrastructure schemes.
Manzanillo Container Terminals Handle 2.07 Million TEU Through July 2026
On August 31, 2026, Info-Transportes reported that the four specialized container terminals of the Port of Manzanillo handled a total of 2.07 million TEU between January and July 2026, a combined increase of 9.9% compared with the same period of 2025.
According to figures from ASIPONA Manzanillo, SSA Marine México led throughput with 921,028 TEU, up 14.2%, followed by Contecon Manzanillo with 854,298 TEU, up 15.4%.
TIMSA recorded a drop of 12.6% by handling 152,130 TEU, and OCUPA reached 143,807 TEU, a reduction of 18,962 TEU versus the previous year.
Combined, the four terminals added 187,234 TEU compared with January–July 2025.
The Port of Manzanillo as a whole reached 2.46 million TEU in the first seven months of 2026, 11.7% more than the previous year, representing 43.4% of national container traffic.
Canaintex Warns That Asian Garments Are Flooding the Country
On August 31, 2026, Rafael Torre Lamuño, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex), alerted that seven out of every 10 garments marketed in tianguis, markets, and informal commerce in Mexico are illegal or come from Asian smuggling, compared with 50% a decade ago.
Canaintex detected new triangulation routes for Chinese goods to evade tariff controls: four months ago it identified the entry of Asian garments into Mexico through the United States, and two months ago shipments from China through Vietnam toward the Mexican market.
Based on Inegi data as of 2024, Canaintex calculated national textile smuggling at 150 billion pesos.
In joint operations with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), more than 130,000 shirts were seized in the last three months.
Navy and ANAM Seize More Than 554,000 Packs of Cigarettes in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán
On August 31, 2026, the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), and the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic (FGR) reported that a joint inspection at Lázaro Cárdenas Customs in Michoacán seized 554,400 packs of cigarettes, equivalent to 11,088,000 cigarettes, that were in transit.
The merchandise was being transported in a container declared in the documentation as “lamps.”
After opening, deconsolidation, and physical inspection of the container, the authorities detected an inconsistency between what was declared and what was transported.
The product was subjected to a provisional measure to prevent its free circulation while the possible impact on industrial property rights is determined.
LNG Bunker Snapshot: Rotterdam LNG Bunker Prices Rise $67/mt on Middle East Supply Risks
On August 31, 2026, Engine reported that Rotterdam’s LNG bunker price surged by $67/mt over the preceding week to $1,346/mt, tracking gains in the front-month Dutch TTF natural gas contract, which rose 1% to $23.63/MMBtu ($1,229/mt) due to intensified geopolitical risk and U.S.–Iran tensions.
Singapore’s LNG bunker price remained broadly steady, rising $1/mt to $1,443/mt, as front-month NYMEX JKM gains of $1.24/MMBtu were offset by a 4% decline in the assessed bunker delivery premium to $4.58/MMBtu ($238/mt).
The Singapore LNG bunker price premium over Rotterdam narrowed from $163/mt to $97/mt.
LNG bunker prices in the Baltics rose by $64/mt to $1,449/mt over the same period.
Data from Gas Infrastructure Europe showed EU underground gas storage stood at 64.4% on August 28, 2026, down 16.7% from the year-earlier level.
CBP Issues Final Rule Requiring Advance Electronic Rail Export Manifests
On August 31, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a final rule requiring mandatory advance electronic export manifest submission in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Electronic Export Manifest (EEM) system for all rail cargo exports departing the United States for Mexico or Canada, effective October 26, 2026.
The rule mandates that rail carriers transmit initial cargo data—including bill of lading number, total cargo quantity, weight, description, shipper and consignee details, and importer of record or CBP-assigned number—at least 24 hours prior to departure.
Complete EEM data must be submitted two hours prior to departure.
The change closes a regulatory gap where Electronic Export Information (EEI) was previously not required for certain rail shipments.
Navy and ANAM Seize More Than 554,000 Packs of Cigarettes in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán
The Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), and the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic (FGR) informed on August 31, 2026 that an inspection at the Customs of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, seized 554,400 packs of cigarettes, equivalent to 11,088,000 cigarettes.
The merchandise was being transported in a container with content declared as “lamps” and was in transit through that customs office.
After the opening, deconsolidation, and physical inspection, the products were subjected to a provisional measure to prevent their free circulation while the possible affectation of industrial property rights is determined.
Suez Canal Reports Recovery in Container Ship Crossings and Eyes Greater Cooperation With Panama Canal
On August 31, 2026, Marine Insight reported that Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Admiral Osama Rabie announced that container ship transit volume through the canal is steadily increasing as container ocean carriers gradually resume services via the Suez route instead of around the Cape of Good Hope.
During a meeting with Egypt’s ambassador to Panama, Ahmed Fawzy El-Sherif, at the SCA Guidance Building in Ismailia, both officials agreed to enhance coordination between the Suez Canal and Panama Canal Authorities.
The aim is to maintain global supply chain sustainability while facing drought restrictions at Panama and geopolitical conflicts in the Gulf region.
Grupo México Transportes Orders Two 150-Car Rail Ferries for U.S.–Mexico Gulf Route
On August 31, 2026, FreightWaves reported that Grupo México Transportes, which operates the Ferromex and Ferrosur railroads, ordered two additional rail ferries capable of carrying 150 railcars each across the Gulf of Mexico.
The joint-venture service, operated in partnership with Genesee & Wyoming, runs from the Port of Mobile to Mexican ports to provide faster transit for U.S.-origin freight than all-land routings.
The expansion aims to meet surging demand for cross-border finished-vehicle shipments manufactured in Mexico and to capture market share from highway carriers and short-sea barge operations out of the Port of Veracruz.
DNV Forecasts Global Low-GHG Marine Fuel Demand of Up to 22 Million Mtoe by 2030
On August 31, 2026, classification society DNV published the 10th edition of its Maritime Forecast to 2050 report, estimating that global shipping demand for low-greenhouse gas (GHG) fuels will reach 4 to 22 million metric tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) by 2030 and 33 to 185 Mtoe by 2050, depending on International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulatory developments.
DNV noted that while current project pipelines could supply up to 270 Mtoe of low-GHG fuel by 2030, actual delivered volumes may fall short due to project delays and competition for low-emissions fuel supplies from other industrial sectors.
SEMAR and ANAM Seize More Than 554,000 Packs of Cigarettes at Lázaro Cárdenas Customs
On August 31, 2026, the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) and the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) seized at the customs office of the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, more than 554,000 packs of cigarettes, equivalent to more than 11 million cigarettes.
The merchandise had been falsely declared as “lamps” in the import documentation.
It became subject to a provisional measure due to the possible impact on industrial property rights.
Hapag-Lloyd Announces Rate Increases for Ocean Freight From the Mediterranean to North America and Mexico
On August 31, 2026, Hapag-Lloyd announced ocean tariff rate increases for cargo transported from the Mediterranean, including the South of France, to Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
The increase applies to 20-foot and 40-foot Dry, Reefer, and special equipment containers, including High Cube containers.
It takes effect for sailings with tariffing dates starting October 1, 2026.
Mexico Moves to Screen Foreign Investment for National Security
On August 31, 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum submitted a reform bill to Mexico’s Congress modifying the Foreign Investment Law to introduce mandatory national security screening for foreign acquisitions exceeding 49% of capital in strategic sectors, including energy, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, data management, and cybersecurity.
The initiative adds the Ministries of National Defense, Navy, and Public Security to the National Foreign Investment Commission.
SAT, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Intelligence Center will participate as permanent non-voting advisors.
Under the proposal, unanswered investment authorization requests will default to tacit denial.
Noncompliance fines range from 5,000 to 200,000 times the daily UMA value.
IMO Leader Conducts Official Visit to the Port of Veracruz to Evaluate Operations and Customs Infrastructure
On August 31, 2026, Info-Transportes reported that the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (OMI) began an official visit in Mexico, conducting a review of the infrastructure of the Port of Veracruz.
During the visit, officials highlighted the positioning of Veracruz Customs as first in the country in monetary value of goods handled and second in total cargo volume.
Veracruz also occupies the third national position in commercial container movement within the Mexican port system.
Expert Outlook
Core judgment
The China–Mexico FCL control stack is shifting from post-landing tariff suppression to pre-arrival documentary fiscalization. SAT and ANAM will make the Electronic Value Manifestation (MVE) fully enforceable on 1 October 2026 after the 31 August preliminary 2026 RGCE extended mandatory compliance only through 30 September—an unusually short announce-to-enforce interval that is a last-mile digitization cliff, not a policy retreat—while Mexico is already positioning rules of origin and transshipment as the 2027 USMCA dispute axis. That rule shift lands on a physical network that is already tight: East Asian congestion has stranded more than 4.3 million TEU, 12.6% of the fleet, supporting SCFI spot rates 156% above pre-Iran-conflict levels, even as Manzanillo’s only 15.5-metre-draft terminal is cleared for 24,000 TEU ships whose Guadalajara corridor now takes 18–20 hours versus about five.
Drivers decoded
On 31 August SAT and ANAM replaced the prior 1 August 2026 mandatory MVE date with a 30 September deadline and locked full enforceability on 1 October in the preliminary 2026 RGCE. MVE replaces the printed E2 on VUCEM; importers must digitize invoices, contracts, Incoterms and proofs of payment so taxes can be determined before arrival. Mexican customs collected more than 131,000 million pesos in July 2026 and 790,000 million pesos January–July under an intelligent risk model ANAM ties to advance digitization, electronic files, MVE and 25 customs cooperation agreements.
The same day, Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard named rules of origin as the main 2027 USMCA dispute axis, with Mexico issuing 3,614 “Hecho en México” certificates and talks aimed at tightening auto origin to cut Asian-input dependence. The 5%–50% package on 1,463 HS codes, in force since 1 January 2026, had already cut targeted China-origin imports 28.4% January–May, from 10,099 million dollars to 7,228 million dollars, even as overall Chinese imports still grew 5.23% to 42.85 billion dollars in January–April. APM Terminals reported Lázaro Cárdenas first-half TEU up 35% to 684,599, including 416,102 transshipment TEUs.
Chinese exporters and Mexican FCL importers want predictable landed cost and transit and to avoid pre-arrival tax challenges on MVE files and origin queries on China-input cargo. Their leverage is volume elasticity already visible in the 28.4% drop on tariffed lines, including withheld or retimed FCL bookings; their mindset is highly sensitive to tariffs and inspections after the duty package and the new requirement to digitize the supporting file before arrival.
SAT and ANAM’s interest is tax take and documentary fiscalization. Their leverage is MVE/VUCEM pre-arrival cross-checks, risk scoring, release tempo and tariff interpretation. They extended mandatory MVE only to 30 September and locked 1 October rather than dismantling the architecture.
Ocean carriers want to hold SCFI-supported rates while a large share of the fleet is stuck at anchorages and to restore network integrity via Suez reroutes. Congestion is a rate tailwind—SCFI 156% above pre-Iran-conflict levels—even as queued capacity at 12.6% of the fleet exceeds the 4.0 million TEU 2022 peak.
The U.S. government is policing China–Mexico transshipment and tightening origin in the USMCA review that started 1 July 2026 and moved to bilateral rounds in July and September. U.S. transshipment concerns already shaped that review; Ebrard’s 2027 framing aligns the next control layer with that agenda, not a new 2026 Mexican tariff reset.
ICTSI’s CMSA (TEC-II) is capturing ULCV calls and lifting rated capacity from about 1.8 million toward 2 million TEU. Its lever is sole Manzanillo authorization for 15.5-metre draft and 24,000 TEU / 400-metre ships after ASIPONA dredging, even though the Colima corridor is already running 18–20 hour waits.
Chain effects
From 1 October 2026, MVE files—invoices, contracts, Incoterms and proofs of payment—must sit on VUCEM so SAT and ANAM can cross-check and determine taxes before the box arrives. Manufacturers then have to reconcile CFDI, purchase orders, payments and plant and customs inventories with pedimentos and IMMEX or face pre-arrival mismatches. ANAM’s advance-digitization risk model, already associated with July collection above 131,000 million pesos, becomes the default China–Mexico FCL gate rather than a paper E2 afterthought.
Typhoon Saudel delays of more than 10 days at Ningbo and Shanghai helped push global queued capacity above 4.3 million TEU, 12.6% of the fleet, and delay absorption to 6.6% versus about 5% in June. That congestion is supporting SCFI spot rates 156% above pre-Iran-conflict levels, keeping Asia–Mexico FCL ocean costs elevated. Carriers are progressively putting services back onto Suez, so schedule design—not only berth queues—remains a landed-cost variable.
Widening of the Colima–Manzanillo highway on the La Salada stretch has stretched Manzanillo–Guadalajara double-trailer transits to 18–20 hours versus about five hours, after 12–13 hour waits in July. FCL boxes cleared at Manzanillo still lose inland continuity on the principal consumption corridor. CMSA’s 15.5-metre / 24,000 TEU authorization does not relieve that hinterland bottleneck and may concentrate larger discharges onto the same saturated accesses.
ASIPONA dredging enabled CMSA-only authorization for 15.5-metre draft and 400-metre / 24,000 TEU ships, with Phase 3B adding 227 metres of quay, two quay cranes and nine RTGs and lifting rated capacity from about 1.8 million to 2 million TEU. The largest Asia strings that can use that draft will have a single authorized Manzanillo berth option. Equipment availability at TEC-II improves on paper, but inland queues and Asia-side idle capacity mean the authorization is a capability unlock, not evidence of looser China–Mexico FCL slot conditions today.
The 5%–50% package on 1,463 HS codes has already cut targeted China imports 28.4% January–May, while Lázaro Cárdenas transshipment TEUs reached 416,102 in a 35% first-half increase to 684,599 TEU, and USMCA talks from 1 July 2026 are framed around China–Mexico transshipment. Conditions now exist to evaluate origin-documentation and transshipment-risk exposure on remaining China-origin FCL, especially autos, without a new 2026 Mexican tariff in the 31 August window. If the September 2026 bilateral round tightens auto origin as Ebrard previewed for 2027, Asian-input FCL into Mexican plants would face a higher origin burden—still a conditional 2027 rule fight, not a present duty change.
SAT and ANAM benefit as July collection already exceeded 131,000 million pesos and MVE embeds pre-arrival tax determination. Ocean carriers benefit as East Asian berth delays support SCFI 156% above pre-Iran-conflict levels even while a historically large share of the fleet sits idle. CMSA benefits as the only Manzanillo operator authorized for 15.5-metre draft and 24,000 TEU ULCVs after ASIPONA dredging, a unique berth franchise as Phase 3B lifts rated capacity toward 2 million TEU. Chinese exporters and Mexican FCL importers absorb the documentary, inland-time and still-elevated ocean-cost stack while tariffed HS volumes remain suppressed.
Scenarios and signposts
The 31 August preliminary 2026 RGCE already sets mandatory MVE compliance through 30 September 2026 and full enforceability on 1 October 2026, replacing the prior 1 August 2026 mandate. CMSA is already the only Manzanillo terminal authorized for 15.5-metre draft and 400-metre / 24,000 TEU ships after ASIPONA dredging; it operates 12 quay cranes and 43 RTGs and handled over 1.7 million TEUs in January–May 2026.
Still unknown is whether the final 2026 RGCE changes MVE’s 30 September mandate, 1 October enforceability, or wording that softens or hardens “full enforceability.”
Still unknown are first-week October VUCEM/MVE rejects, pre-arrival tax challenges, and extra document requests on China-origin FCL pedimentos.
Still unknown is the September 2026 USMCA bilateral round’s official language on transshipment, auto origin and Asian-input dependence versus Ebrard’s 31 August “2027 dispute axis” framing.
Still unknown are Ningbo and Shanghai berth delays and Asia schedule reliability versus July prints of 21% at Shanghai and 34.6% at Ningbo, and versus June’s about 5% fleet-absorption baseline.
Still unknown is whether Manzanillo–Guadalajara corridor waits recede from the current 18–20 hours after July’s 12–13 hours.
Still unknown is whether CMSA actually berths a 15.5-metre ULCV call, and any Phase 3B quay or crane commissioning notice.
Baseline, highly likely: MVE becomes fully enforceable on 1 October with pre-arrival tax determination on VUCEM; Asia–Mexico FCL schedules stay weak while SCFI-supported ocean rates remain elevated versus pre-Iran-conflict levels; Manzanillo–Guadalajara inland waits stay far above the about-five-hour norm; tariffed China HS volumes stay suppressed versus 2025 even as overall China imports are not collapsing. That path holds if the preliminary RGCE dates hold, East Asian delay absorption stays above June’s about 5% of fleet, and Colima–Manzanillo highway works continue.
Optimistic, may: landed-cost pressure eases only at the margin as schedule reliability recovers and inland dwell shortens; MVE is absorbed as a systems and reconciliation cost rather than a widespread hold event; CMSA’s ULCV draft authorization does not yet change Asia–Mexico FCL economics. That path requires Ningbo/Shanghai berth queues to unwind and July reliability to improve, MVE transmissions to clear without systematic VUCEM rejects, and highway waits to recede from 18–20 hours.
Pessimistic, may: time-to-release lengthens at Mexican ports on documentary mismatches and inland from Manzanillo; origin and transshipment queries add friction on top of already-elevated ocean rates; tariffed China categories remain volume-constrained. That path would follow if 1 October MVE enforcement produces systematic pre-arrival holds where CFDI and pedimento files fail cross-checks, Asia delays persist beyond 10 days, and the September USMCA bilateral round elevates transshipment and origin checks on China-origin FCL.
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