Puerto Morelos Pursues New Maritime Trade Route to Central America

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo — The Quintana Roo Port Administration (Apiqroo) is working to open a new commercial shipping route from Puerto Morelos to Central America, a project officials expect to finalize in the coming months to boost cargo traffic in the state.

Iván Ferrat Mancera, the terminal’s representative, said talks are under way with shipping lines to secure the new connection, a process that requires guaranteeing minimum operating costs to make the route viable.

He said that if the plan moves forward, Central America would become the port’s second international destination. The terminal currently operates a weekly service from Florida in the United States through the shipping line Everglades, which moves most of the goods entering the state.

“The idea is to strengthen the port and attract more maritime cargo, which is cheaper for the destination, and in turn generate exports abroad,” he said.

Ferrat Mancera said that unlike other ports in Mexico, Puerto Morelos has not been affected by global foreign trade conditions. On the contrary, cargo flows — both imports and exports — have risen by around 15 percent.

He said the goods arriving most frequently include supplies for the hotel industry, the terminal’s main client: curtains, sheets, towels, linens, dishware, kitchen equipment and furniture, among other items tied to the operation and renovation of hotels in northern Quintana Roo.

Despite the growth, the official acknowledged that Puerto Morelos faces a structural limit on expanding capacity. The port has a draft of 5 meters, which would be difficult to increase because of natural conditions.

“If you don’t increase that draft, it makes no sense to expand on land. You would have to look at opening a second port in another geographic area of the state where you can have greater depth,” he said.

He said that while that possibility is studied, the strategy centers on optimizing current operations and opening new markets such as Central America, which would diversify destinations and balance imports against exports.