Latin America is the fourth origin/destination for traffic from Spanish ports, with 44.5 million tons a year
Spanish ports present their offering at Intermodal South America 2016
- Spanish ports are presented as the most competitive connection for Latin American traffic with Europe as their origin/destination
01-04-2016 (Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Transport). A representation of 10 Spanish port authorities (Bay of Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Ferrol, Las Palmas, Malaga S.C. Tenerife, Tarragona, Valencia, and Vigo), coordinated by Puertos del Estado under the brand "Spanish Ports: the perfect European connection", will be present at the 2016 Intermodal South America trade fair to be held in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo from 5 to 7 April. This fair is the largest and most important of all those taking place in Latin America in the foreign commerce, logistics and transport sector.
The aim of the "Ports of Spain" brand is to enhance the image of the country and the southern European platform, and to consolidate the perception of Spain as the ideal connection both for attracting goods for import/export with Spain and Europe, and also as a base for maritime traffic. The presence of Ports of Spain, along with the Spanish port authorities and a representation of important Spanish companies like Acciona, Best, and Grupo Romeu, reinforces and consolidates our country as a privileged interlocutor between continents, and highlights its key role in the development of transport and world trade.
The goal is thus to boost the traffic between Spanish ports and the primary ports in Latin America, with which Spain already moves over 44 million tons, and also traffic with an origin/destination in Europe's primary production and consumption centers, which currently account for almost 10 million tons.
Trade with Latin American countries represents 9.2% of the total movement of goods from Spanish ports, making it the fourth continent after Europe –with 219.7 million tons (45.5%)–, Africa –103.5 million tons (21.4%)–, and Asia –which, with 68.7 million tons transported represented 14.2% of the total–, but more than the goods transported between North America –8% of the goods transported–, with 38.4 million tons. These figures clearly show there is still considerable room for growth in port traffic with the countries in the region.
World Area | DISEMBARKING | EMBARKING | TRANSIT | TOTAL |
Total World Areas | 237,001,469 | 128,626,050 | 117,140,250 | 482,767,769 |
CENTRAL AMERICA | 2,260,027 | 2,357,262 | 854,699 | 5,471,988 |
NORTH AMERICA | 19,537,494 | 9,355,998 | 9,532,817 | 38,426,309 |
SOUTH AMERICA | 28,695,959 | 6,276,946 | 9,536,581 | 44,509,486 |
EASTERN EUROPE | 22,859,121 | 876,904 | 1,727,644 | 25,463,669 |
NORTH AFRICA | 37,375,619 | 20,237,005 | 24,580,254 | 82,192,878 |
OCEANIA | 1,621,221 | 387,294 | 478,495 | 2,487,010 |
MIDDLE EAST | 12,811,800 | 7,481,752 | 6,874,363 | 27,167,915 |
REST OF ASIA | 17,593,393 | 9,274,952 | 14,648,204 | 41,516,549 |
REST OF WESTERN EUROPE | 7,047,628 | 4,893,503 | 7,646,858 | 19,587,989 |
SOUTH AFRICA | 12,175,824 | 2,407,772 | 6,731,897 | 21,315,493 |
EUROPEAN UNION | 75,023,383 | 65,076,662 | 34,528,438 | 174,628,483 |
In this context,
Brazil is now Spain's leading business partner in South America. Of the 44.5
million tons moved with the main countries in the area in 2015, nearly 45%
–that is 19 million tons– correspond to trade with Brazil. The trade balance is
clearly in favor of Brazil, as exports to Spain accounted for nearly 10 million
tons last year –mainly iron mineral, soy beans, crude petroleum, cereals and
flours–, whereas imports of Spanish products to Brazil were 3 million tons,
mainly chemical products, cement, clinker and petroleum products.
MAIN ORIGINS/DESTINATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA
(Traffic over 1 million tons)
| 2014 | 2015 |
BRAZIL | 18,138,788 | 19,034,064 |
COLOMBIA | 11,202,867 | 11,282,416 |
ARGENTINA | 4,169,862 | 4,195,865 |
VENEZUELA | 4,026,736 | 3,863,813 |
PERU | 2,387,747 | 2,069,927 |
CHILE | 2,151,141 | 2,106,343 |
ECUADOR | 1,188,706 | 941,724 |
URUGUAY | 894,891 | 689,492 |
In addition, the works currently underway to enlarge the Panama Canal and those in various ports in the subcontinent could significantly increase the flow of goods from countries and ports in Latin America bound for Europe. In this scenario, it appears clear that the Iberian Peninsula and Spanish ports in particular could play a key role in the future of maritime transport and intermodality.
The aim of Spanish ports in the short term is therefore to foster the growth of traffic with Latin America.