APM Terminals (APMT) Lazaro Cardenas has begun the construction of its Phase II $140 million expansion.
According to APMT, this project will increase the capacity of the first semi-automated facility in Latin America with an additional 1 million TEU and position it as a hub for the Americas region.
Mexico’s Head of Ports and Merchant Marine, Captain Ana Laura López Bautista, Lazaro Cardenas Port General Director, Admiral Jorge Luis Cruz Ballado, and the Governor of the State of Michoacan, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, participated in the ground-breaking ceremony.
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The yard will be expanded by 15.7 hectares during the development, and the terminal operating system will be modernised to utilise Navis N4.
According to APMT, the port would have an annual throughput capacity of 2.2 million TEU after completion, which is scheduled for Q1 2026.
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Leo Huisman, Regional Managing Director APM Terminals Americas, said: “This expansion positions the terminal as a key hub in the region.
“The increased capacity, new equipment. and yard space will lift the standard of efficiency at the terminal, through optimised traffic flows and improve cross-border transit times – a key element of the USMCA.”
Marliz Bermudez, Managing Director for APM Terminals Mexico, stated: “In addition to improved efficiency that will reduce logistics costs for both shipping lines and landside customers, the new phase will include several sustainable initiatives.
“It will also lead to 500 additional direct and 900 indirect jobs during the construction phase that will improve living standards and generate value for the local community. The expansion will also support opportunities for the growth of international trade and transform the economic and social development of the State of Michoacan and Mexico.”