Since this April, several Chinese bulker carriers have been detained at some Mexican ports in for nearly six months as Mexican customs suspected that the ships might carry illegal iron ore cargo, Chinese local media reported.

According to the report, one of the ships, Best Vision, owned by Jiaxin International Shipping, was carrying 93,641dwt of iron ore and about to leave Manzanillo Port on April 25, and has been detained by Mexican authorities for investigations since then.

The other ship, Luyang Eagle, owned by Luyang International Group, has been detained at Lazaro Cardenas Port since May 28 for the same reason.

However, further information said that there are totally about seven to eight iron ore carriers having been detained in several Mexican ports, and three of them are owned by Chinese shipping companies. But without exception, the destinations of all these iron ore cargos carried by those detained carriers are China.

An official from Jiaxin International Shipping said the company has been actively coordinating with Mexican authorities in order to release the ships, however, the authority still hasn’t been able to provide any conclusion of the investigation.

Those Chinese shipping companies have suffered loss of about $6.1m in total due to the detention.

The Chinese embassy in Mexico has been involved to help release the vessels.