Prioritize port access and drayage partners, road connectivity to national highways, bonded storage and customs expertise, temperature-controlled zones if needed, WMS/EDI integrations, pick-and-pack and kitting capability, measurable SLAs (OTD, accuracy) and transparent inventory reporting to support mixed-channel fulfillment.

Ciudad del Carmen generally offers lower land and facility rental rates and a niche labor pool experienced in energy and marine logistics, lowering fixed and operational costs. Tradeoffs include fewer carrier frequency options and potentially longer domestic transit to northern border hubs; model total landed cost, not just warehousing fees.

Look for certified bonded (almacén fiscal) facilities, in-house or partnered customs brokers, experience with IMMEX/temporary import programs, accurate export documentation, compliance processes for SAT and customs audits, and track record handling sanitary/health permits if you ship food or regulated goods.

Require order accuracy, inventory accuracy, on-time shipment rate, dock-to-stock and pick-to-ship cycle times, chargeback/claim rates, on-time receiving and putaway metrics, and real-time visibility via WMS/API; include SLA definitions and financial remedies for noncompliance.