Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros

What Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros does

Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros, A.C. (AMANAC) is a Mexican not-for-profit civil association founded on August 6, 1987, headquartered in Mexico City with a port delegation in Veracruz. It serves as the official industry body representing Mexican shipping agents (agentes navieros) and international freight forwarders (agentes de carga internacional) before government authorities, port operators, maritime unions, and international federations. AMANAC's members handle approximately 95% of national and foreign vessels calling at Mexican ports, providing it with near-universal sector coverage across import, export, hydrocarbon, and passenger shipping segments. Its membership roster includes 82 international freight forwarding companies and major global shipping lines such as MAERSK, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, Hapag Lloyd, Hamburg Süd, NYK Line, APL, K LINE, and Grupo TMM.

AMANAC's core technology platform is the SAM-M3 (Sistema de Administración de Manifiestos de Carga), an electronic cargo manifest transmission system co-developed with Mexico's tax administration SAT and operated exclusively by AMANAC under Rules 1.9.7, 1.9.8, and 1.9.13 of the General Rules on Foreign Trade. Member agencies use the proprietary SEAMAN tool to capture and generate compliant manifest and bill of lading files, which AMANAC transmits to SAT's SAAI customs system via Web and FTP channels. This positions AMANAC as the sole authorized intermediary for mandatory electronic manifest transmission in Mexico. Complementary offerings include legal and regulatory advisory (Asesoría y Gestoría), professional training courses (Capacitación y Cursos), a maritime industry bulletin (Boletín Marítimo), annual port tariff publications (Tarifas Portuarias 2024/2025/2026), VGM container weight verification support, immigration processing for crews, and troubleshooting with port, customs, and tax authorities.

AMANAC's business model is a subscription/membership-dues structure with revenue generated from annual fees paid by shipping agents and freight forwarders, supplemented by training course fees, event sponsorship, and information product sales. Distribution is direct to member companies through the Mexico City headquarters and port delegations. The association does not engage in commercial marketing but maintains visibility through its annual congress (XXIX Congreso Anual Veracruz 2025), its website, the Boletín Marítimo newsletter, and professional training programs. Strategic partnerships include SAT (customs integration), CIANAM, FONASBA (international federations), CONCAMIN, CNET, COMPORT, and the Lázaro Cárdenas Port Community system.

Name

Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros

Legal name

Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros, A.C.

Website

https://amanac.org.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros (AMANAC) is a Mexican not-for-profit trade association founded in 1987 representing shipping agents and international freight forwarders. It operates the exclusive SAM-M3 electronic cargo manifest transmission system with SAT and serves members handling 95% of vessel traffic at Mexican ports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Trade Association Services

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (4251)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI) (TLACAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade Document Generation & Management (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, COO, Certificates) (TLAEAOAF), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL), Customs Clearance & Border Trade Facilitation (BPAIADAF)

Keywords

• Shipping agency services
• Maritime customs compliance
• Electronic manifest transmission
• Port tariff publications
• Maritime industry training

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico City

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue generated from annual membership fees paid by shipping agents and international freight forwarders. Members receive access to all association services including legal advisory, electronic transmission services, training, and port tariff information.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AMANAC is a non-profit civil trade association that provides Mexican shipping agents and international freight forwarders with electronic cargo manifest transmission to customs (SAM-M3 system), proprietary file-generation software (SEAMAN), regulatory and legal advisory, professional training and certification courses, annual port tariff publications, an industry bulletin, and representation before authorities, port operators and unions.

Product overview

AMANAC offers a suite of services centered on its electronic data transmission platform for the Mexican maritime and foreign trade sector. The core offering is the SAM-M3 (Sistema de Actualización de Manifiestos de Carga) electronic transmission system, which handles mandatory customs manifest data for shipping agencies under Rules 1.9.7, 1.9.8, and 1.9.13 of Mexico's General Rules on Foreign Trade, transmitting to the SAAI system of SAT. This platform is supported by the proprietary SEAMAN tool for file capture and generation. Complementing the core platform, AMANAC provides a maritime bulletin (Boletín Marítimo), annual training courses (Capacitación y Cursos), port tariff publications (Tarifas Portuarias) organized by port and year, and advisory and management services (Asesoría y Gestoría) covering maritime, customs, immigration, and port service regulatory matters. The association also offers Verified Gross Mass (VGM) container weight verification support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEAMAN: A tool designed for the capture and generation of electronic files required to comply with customs authority requirements for transmitting cargo manifests and bills of lading.

Products and services

• SAM-M3 (Sistema de Actualización de Manifiestos de Carga) Electronic data transmission system for cargo manifests (manifiestos de carga) and bills of lading that enables shipping agencies to transmit mandatory customs manifest data to the SAAI system of SAT, complying with Rules 1.9.7, 1.9.8 and 1.9.13 of Mexico's General Rules on Foreign Trade.
• Capacitación y Cursos (Training and Courses) Annual professional training and certification program covering introduction to maritime cargo transport, Incoterms 2010 workshops, dangerous goods maritime transport, Mexican maritime law, customs law applied to maritime transport, and port documentation. Targeted at member shipping agencies and freight forwarders.
• Tarifas Portuarias (Port Tariff Publications) Annual port tariff publications organized by Mexican port (e.g., Veracruz, Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas) and year, covering pilotaje, infraestructura, lanchaje, amarre de cabos, remolque, manejo de carga, suministro de agua, basura and weighing services.
• Asesoría y Gestoría (Advisory and Management Services) Specialized advisory covering maritime, port, customs, tax and immigration legislation, including maritime agency registration, navigation permits, port service permits (lanching, provisioning, mooring, garbage collection, towing, cargo handling, storage, water supply), immigration procedures, and regulatory compliance with DGMM, DGP, AGA, INM and SAGARPA.
• Boletín Marítimo de AMANAC Maritime bulletin providing AMANAC members with news and information on the maritime, port and foreign trade sectors, including publications from the Diario Oficial de la Federación affecting the maritime industry.
• Verificado de Masa Bruta (VGM) - Container Weight Verification Verified Gross Mass (VGM) service for containers, providing guidance and documentation support for compliance with SOLAS regulations on container weight verification for vessels calling at Mexican ports.

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIANAM (Cámara Interamericana de Asociaciones Nacionales de Agentes Marítimos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-American Chamber of Maritime Associations representing national shipping agent associations across the Americas. AMANAC is an active member participating in regional maritime policy discussions and industry coordination.
• FONASBA (Federación Mundial de Asociaciones Nacionales de Agentes Marítimos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Federation of Shipbrokers' and Agents' Associations representing maritime agents globally. Provides international networking and best practice sharing for AMANAC members.
• CONCAMIN (Confederación de Cámaras Industriales)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfederation of Industrial Chambers representing Mexican industry. AMANAC participates as a member chamber supporting industrial and trade interests.
• CNET (Consejo Nacional Empresarial Turístico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Tourism Business Council of Mexico. Collaborative relationship for maritime-related tourism activities.
• COMPORT (Consejo Marítimo Portuario de México)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime Port Council of Mexico bringing together port operators, shipping agents, and service providers to coordinate port operations and policy.
• SAT (Servicio de Administración Tributaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican Tax Administration Service. AMANAC collaborates directly with SAT on the SAM-M3 electronic manifest transmission system, being the only association authorized to transmit data to this authority for customs compliance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council): The world's largest international shipping association, covering shipowners, operators, charterers, and agents. Overlaps with AMANAC's regulatory and standardization role but at a much broader industry-wide scope.
• World Shipping Council: Industry association representing the international container liner shipping industry. Adjacent ecosystem participant focused on the carrier side rather than the agent side that AMANAC represents.
• FONASBA (Federación Mundial de Asociaciones Nacionales de Agentes Marítimos): World federation of national shipbroker and ship-agent associations. AMANAC is a member; FONASBA operates one organizational layer above AMANAC with a broader global remit and does not compete directly for the same members.

Emerging players

• Descartes Systems Group: Provider of customs and trade compliance technology, including electronic manifest filing solutions used by carriers, brokers, and customs authorities globally. Potential technology competitor to AMANAC's SAM-M3 platform.
• Magaya Software: Logistics and freight forwarding software provider with manifest management and customs documentation capabilities. Competes with AMANAC's SEAMAN tool for digital workflow share among freight forwarder members.
• WiseTech Global (CargoWise): Global logistics technology platform whose CargoWise product offers integrated customs filing, manifest management, and compliance workflows—directly competing with the digital functions AMANAC performs via SAM-M3 and SEAMAN.

Direct peers

• CIANAM (Cámara Interamericana de Asociaciones Nacionales de Agentes Marítimos): Inter-American chamber that federates national shipping agent associations across the Americas. Directly comparable in structure, membership model, and core function to AMANAC, which is itself a member of CIANAM.
• ASA (American Ship Agents Association): US-based trade association representing ship agents and similar service providers in American ports. Closest geographic and structural analogue to AMANAC outside Mexico, focused on representation and regulatory engagement.
• ECASBA (European Community of Ship Brokers' and Agents): European federation of national shipbroker and ship-agent associations. Functionally equivalent to AMANAC at the European level, with similar role in representing members before regulators and authorities.

Others

• TT Club (Through Transport Club): Mutual insurance provider serving freight forwarders, ship agents, and other transport operators. Adjacent ecosystem participant that supports the same member base as AMANAC but does not compete on the regulatory or compliance axis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AmanacOficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/amanacoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amanacoficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asociación Mexicana de Agentes Navieros