MEDITERRANEAN Shipping Company (MSC) expanded its transpacific shipping network by launching its Sierra service at the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico.
The container ship MSC Domitille completed the initial port call at the Contecon Manzanillo terminal. The facility operates as the Specialized Container Terminal (TEC-II) under a 34-year concession managed by a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI).
The Sierra loop is MSC’s second dedicated maritime service connecting the Far East with Mexico. The port rotation covers Qingdao, Tianjin, Busan, Manzanillo, and Lázaro Cárdenas before returning to Qingdao. This route provides importers and exporters with additional transpacific sailing frequencies and container capacity to access manufacturing markets in Northeast Asia.
The introduction of the weekly loop coincides with the fourth phase of the terminal expansion project at Contecon Manzanillo. The capital investment program focuses on increasing container yard space, adding specialized handling equipment, and scaling up installed capacity. The infrastructure upgrades accommodate larger vessel calls and support growing cargo throughput at the Pacific coast gateway.
Contecon Manzanillo CEO José Antonio Contreras stated that the service strengthens the terminal’s operational capabilities and connectivity. “Our objective is to strengthen Manzanillo’s position as a preferred gateway for global shipping lines and international trade, as well as provide our customers with more efficient and reliable access to key markets,” he added.
According to data from the National Port System Administration (Asipona), the Port of Manzanillo handled more than 1.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) between January and May 2026. These volume figures establish the port as Mexico’s primary container gateway and international trade transit hub. The addition of the Sierra service integrates into the terminal’s capacity to process Mexican foreign trade.
The terminal subsidiary, Contecon Manzanillo SA de CV, was established following the signing of the 34-year development and operations concession in June 2010. The port facility sits on Mexico’s Pacific coast to serve transpacific trade lanes and connect ocean freight to domestic consumer markets and industrial zones, including Mexico City. The new MSC service establishes a direct link between these commercial zones and East Asian manufacturing centers.
