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Port of Manzanillo Backlog Strands Chinese Imports and Small Businesses

Staff shortages have led to heightened inspections that saddle traders with rising fees under an indefinite port paralysis.

Overview

  • The port faces a severe backlog, with hundreds of containers piled in yards and about 20 ships waiting offshore for berths.
  • Kilometer-long lines of trailers form daily for the roughly 6,000 trucks that normally collect cargo.
  • Logistics firms estimate transporters are losing about 84 million pesos each day to accumulating delays paired with extra storage charges.
  • Small traders report shipments from China stuck since April, facing mounting legal and administrative hurdles under new PAMA procedures.
  • Authorities have not set a date to restore regular service, leaving businesses in limbo because disjointed staffing and inspection measures persist.