Mexico City, Mexico
Sea freight in Mexico City
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Mexico City, via Veracruz and Manzanillo. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Mexico City
- AirportFelipe Angeles
NLU - AirportBenito Juarez
MEX - SeaportVeracruz and Manzanillo
Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) at Santa Lucía, north of the capital in the State of Mexico, is now the main airport for dedicated freighter flights serving Mexico City, after all-cargo operations were moved away from the city airport. Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) still handles cargo carried in the bellies of passenger aircraft, which matters for urgent consignments on passenger routes. For sea freight, the Valley of Mexico is served by the Gulf port of Veracruz and the Pacific port of Manzanillo, both reached by road and rail. Choosing between NLU, MEX and the two seaports depends on the origin lane, the cargo type and the delivery address within the metropolitan area.
Toll highways radiate from the capital: the Mexico–Querétaro highway towards the Bajío and the US border, the Mexico–Puebla–Veracruz highway to the Gulf, and the Mexico–Pachuca road past NLU. The Circuito Exterior Mexiquense and the Arco Norte let trucks bypass the city centre. Freight rail lines run by Ferromex and CPKC link the Valley of Mexico with Veracruz, Manzanillo and the northern border. We arrange pick-up and delivery across Mexico City and the surrounding State of Mexico, including the Toluca area.
Operational logistics facts for Mexico City
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) | Freighter cargo, general and consolidated air freight | Main all-cargo airport for the capital, outside the congested city centre |
| Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) | Belly cargo on passenger flights, urgent small shipments | Extra flight options for time-critical consignments |
| Port of Veracruz | FCL and LCL to and from Europe and the US Gulf | Gulf port with direct highway and rail access to the capital |
| Pharma and medical-device sites in the metropolitan area | Regulated healthcare imports under COFEPRIS rules | Permits checked during tariff classification, before the goods ship |
Industries in Mexico City and how we support them
The metropolitan area is Mexico's largest consumer market, so imports of consumer goods, electronics, retail stock and spare parts dominate. Many pharmaceutical and medical-device companies have plants, laboratories and distribution centres in the capital and the State of Mexico, where products fall under COFEPRIS health regulation. Services, telecoms and data infrastructure add demand for IT hardware. Ziem Logistics moves this cargo by air freight on our own air waybills, with Next Flight Out for urgent parts and On-Board Courier for hand-carried items. Customs clearance is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures, and sea freight via Veracruz or Manzanillo is handled in the same shipment file.
From the port to your door in Mexico City
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Veracruz and Manzanillo, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the Mexico City area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
Customs clearance in Mexico
Ziem network
Customs clearance in Mexico is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from Mexico we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in Mexico need an RFC tax ID and registration in the Padrón de Importadores.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Mexico City?
Usually Veracruz and Manzanillo. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.