Puerto del Norte–Matamoros is officially in service, receiving its first vessel on Aug. 1: a shipment of KIA vehicles from Panama. 

The arrival marks the start of operations at Mexico’s newest Gulf seaport, located about an hour’s drive from the Texas border.

“This infrastructure represents a strategic opportunity not only for Tamaulipas, but also for states such as Nuevo León and Coahuila, as well as for major assembly plants in the country’s center,” said David García, president of the Matamoros Business Coordinating Council (CCEM).

Gustavo Guzmán Fernández, director general of the Integral Port Administration of Tamaulipas (API), emphasized the broader scope: “This isn’t a port just for Tamaulipas. It belongs to Nuevo León, Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, and Texas. And more importantly: wherever we can achieve the lowest times and costs, that’s where we’ll be.”