Nuevo Laredo, Manzanillo and Veracruz were the main customs in Mexico in terms of revenue, according to ANAM data.
The customs system is relevant because Mexico ranks as the ninth largest exporter in the world.
In particular, the country needs its customs to operate with great efficiency. Several factors demand it. Its territory is vast and its population exceeds 130 million inhabitants. In addition, it faces a high flow of migrants and drugs. In the area of cooperation, terrorist threats to the United States represent another challenge.
Exports contribute significantly to GDP, while imports of inputs and components are essential for the production of finished goods. Trade openness helps control inflation. At the same time, customs control prevents the entry of illegal or dangerous goods. It also protects flora and fauna by preventing the spread of disease.
Customs in Mexico
Mexico’s merchandise exports increased by 4.1% in 2024, reaching US$617,099.6 million. On the other hand, merchandise imports grew by 4.5% annually, reaching US$625,311.8 million.
The following is a ranking of the 20 main customs offices in Mexico, considering their revenue in 2024, in billions of dollars:
- Nuevo Laredo: 200.
- Manzanillo: 172.
- Veracruz: 137.
- Lazaro Cardenas: 120.
- AIFA: 47.
- Ciudad Juárez: 46.
- Altamira: 44.
- Tuxpan: 38.
- AICM: 37.
- Puebla: 31.
- Reinosa: 30.
- Colombia: 29.
- Matamoros: 28.
- Toluca: 26.
- Mazatlan: 22.
- Tijuana: 20.
- Progreso: 19.
- Guadalajara: 18.
- Mexicali: 15.
- Piedras Negras: 13.
Competitiveness
The American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (Amcham Mexico) proposed in 2023 to use the Single Window as a hub to consolidate digital information, so that from there data would flow to CBP, SAT and ANAM servers, thus avoiding duplication of efforts and triangulation of information between different entities.
It has also suggested extending the opening hours of selected customs pairs. The idea is that harmonizing the business hours of some border customs (Tijuana-San Ysidro and/or Otay-Otay Mesa; Ciudad Juarez-El Paso; Laredo-Nuevo Laredo and/or Colombia-Guadalupe) could be a relatively simple and cost-effective way to improve cross-border flows.
Amcham groups more than 1,300 companies from different sectors, representing 23% of Mexico’s GDP, 20% of Foreign Direct Investment and employing more than 8.5 million Mexicans directly and indirectly.