Hub ports in Mexico: Limitations and opportunities

The subject of hub ports has become an increasingly important one in Latin America owing to the rapid growth of international goods flows that has resulted from trade liberalization and economic globalization. The aim of this paper is to reappraise hub ports in Mexico from a viewpoint that situates the unit of analysis in the global sphere, as the technological, organizational and geographical changes being undergone by ports and liner shipping worldwide largely determine the limitations and opportunities for port development in the country. In this initial approach to the subject, five criteria of analysis are established for ascertaining the opportunities and potential of Mexican ports operating liner sea container services within the new international maritime and port context. The paper ends by setting forth some general prospects and conclusions for consideration by actors, both public and private, concerned with port development.