Cargo traffic through ports of general interest exceeds 133 million tonnes in the first quarter

•    TEUs recover and grow by 3.6% up to March, with a 6.2% increase in transshipment.
•    Liquid bulk also rises by 3.2%, driven by fuels.

22-04-2026 (Puertos del Estado). State-owned ports handled 133,238,046 tonnes up to March 2026, representing a 1.3% decrease compared to the same period last year. In the first two months of 2026, general economic uncertainty and some temporary terminal closures due to adverse weather conditions led to traffic declines of 4.5% in January and 1.3% up to February. In March, some changes were observed, with better figures compared to the same month last year in almost all categories—particularly the strong increase in TEUs—although the overall quarterly result remains negative, reflecting global geopolitical tensions.

General cargo slowed its decline and, up to March, recorded a 2% decrease—compared to an 8.1% drop in January and 4% in the first two months—with more than 66.46 million tonnes handled. Containerized cargo fell by 1.5%, while conventional cargo dropped by 3%.

TEUs recovered and grew by 3.6%, reaching nearly 4.5 million in the first three months of the year, driven by a strong 6.2% increase in transshipment.

Liquid bulk improved its figures, with 44.5 million tonnes handled, a 3.2% increase accumulated since January, thanks to the rise in gasoline, fuel oil, and natural gas. Solid bulk recorded a decrease of 8.8%, with a cumulative total of 18.5 million tonnes.

Ro-ro traffic declined over the quarter (-3%), although less sharply than up to February due to strong March figures, reaching 17.8 million tonnes.

The number of merchant vessels calling at Spanish ports fell by 6.2%, to 33,802 units, with a 0.9% decrease in gross tonnage.

Passenger traffic exceeded 7.1 million movements up to March, representing a 4.1% increase compared to the same period last year.