Mexico expects container traffic at its ports to rise 26% this year from 2009 to 3.62 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, reflecting a sharp recovery in trade as well as public investments to increase capacity.
Since the beginning of 2007, the government has invested 32.43 billion pesos ($2.62 billion) to upgrade numerous ports on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, the Communications and Transport Ministry said Wednesday in a press release.
At the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas, the government has spent MXN3.48 billion to increase container capacity by 600,000 TEUs per year. Ongoing public and private investments at the nearby port of Manzanillo should exceed MXN10 billion for construction of a new container terminal and a terminal for liquid natural gas.
The SCT didn't mention the $5 billion megaport project known as Punta Colonet, which was tendered in 2008 but stalled shortly afterward as the credit crunch and global recession squeezed any would-be bidders.
Container traffic at Mexico's ports this year is expected to surpass the previous record of 3.32 million TEUs, set in 2008.
Trade has been one of several bright spots in Mexico's economic recovery, with exports in the January to October period rising 32% from a year earlier to $243.31 billion and imports up 30% to $246.11 billion.
The SCT also said it has invested MXN152.17 billion in highway infrastructure since 2007, when current President Felipe Calderon's term began. Additional private investments in that period amount to MXN22.94 billion.
Since the beginning of 2007, the government has invested 32.43 billion pesos ($2.62 billion) to upgrade numerous ports on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, the Communications and Transport Ministry said Wednesday in a press release.
At the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas, the government has spent MXN3.48 billion to increase container capacity by 600,000 TEUs per year. Ongoing public and private investments at the nearby port of Manzanillo should exceed MXN10 billion for construction of a new container terminal and a terminal for liquid natural gas.
The SCT didn't mention the $5 billion megaport project known as Punta Colonet, which was tendered in 2008 but stalled shortly afterward as the credit crunch and global recession squeezed any would-be bidders.
Container traffic at Mexico's ports this year is expected to surpass the previous record of 3.32 million TEUs, set in 2008.
Trade has been one of several bright spots in Mexico's economic recovery, with exports in the January to October period rising 32% from a year earlier to $243.31 billion and imports up 30% to $246.11 billion.
The SCT also said it has invested MXN152.17 billion in highway infrastructure since 2007, when current President Felipe Calderon's term began. Additional private investments in that period amount to MXN22.94 billion.