Mexico Reopens Puerto del Norte After 24 Years to Boost US Trade

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Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya inaugurated operations at Puerto del Norte in Matamoros, the first major port to open in Mexico in two decades, according to the Laredo Morning Times.

The port had been inactive for 24 years.

Puerto del Norte opens in Matamoros, boosting Mexico-US trade

At the event, Villarreal Anaya gave the official start for the first vehicles to board the ship Integrador after receiving the concession title authorizing port operations from Admiral José Barradas Cobos, subsecretary of the Mexican Merchant Marine.

He stated that the port would serve as a new maritime frontier for Mexico, facilitating shipments from Nuevo León, Coahuila and San Luis Potosí, and reducing car transport time from Monterrey to 4.5 hours — up to five hours less than via the Port of Altamira.

The governor cited support from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Navy Secretary Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, and described Puerto del Norte as a key component of regional strategic development alongside other projects such as the expansion of the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo from eight to 18 lanes, the upcoming inauguration of the National Customs Agency in Nuevo Laredo, and the restoration of secure highway transit in the border region.

Laredo Mayor Victor Trevino said the port complements the World Trade Bridge and Colombia Bridge, enhancing the city’s position in international trade.

Eduardo Garza Robles, president of Uni-Trade Group, said the port offers advantages for the Dos Laredos region in terms of time, cost and efficiency, supporting nearshoring and intermodal transit for products such as steel, hydrocarbons and auto parts.

Daniel Covarrubias, director of the Texas Center for Border Economic & Enterprise Development at TAMIU, said Puerto del Norte complements existing infrastructure like the Port of Brownsville, offering multimodal opportunities and alleviating pressure on other Gulf ports such as Veracruz and Altamira.

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Source: LMT Online