Cargo traffic through the ports of general interest grew by 3.1% through September
- TEUs increased by 11.8%, and transit traffic remained on the rise (+17.8%), but the trend of moderation compared to previous months continues.
- Passenger movements increased by 3.6% in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with 31.8 million passengers.
October 24, 2024 (Puertos del Estado). The ports of general interest handled a total of 422,109,603 tons between January and September 2024, representing an increase of 3.1% compared to the same period last year, continuing the upward trend observed throughout the year as a result of changes in maritime routes due to the situation in the Red Sea.
In the first nine months of the year, general cargo increased by 6.9% compared to 2023, reaching 210.9 million tons, with a significant increase in containerized cargo (+9.5%), compared to the more moderate growth of conventional general cargo (+1.4%).
TEUs rose by 11.8% compared to the same period last year, with 13.7 million tons, in line with the growth rate set from the beginning of the year. However, there was a slightly smaller increase in transiting TEUs (+17.8%), similar to what was seen in August, compared to previous months' data (18.7% in July or 19.9% in June).
Liquid bulk traffic recorded a 3.4% rise through September, reaching 135.9 million tons, mainly due to the strong performance of chemical products (+127.8%) and gasoline (+26.7%), as well as petroleum and its derivatives in general.
All traffic segments saw increases between January and September, except for solid bulk, which suffered an 8.3% drop, amounting to 63.7 million tons, due to the decline in coal (-47.2%) and some food products.
Ro-ro traffic remained stable compared to the previous year, up by only 0.5%, with a total of 54.7 million tons.
The number of merchant ships passing through Spanish ports increased by 0.6% in the first nine months of the year, totaling 126,985 units, while gross tonnage grew by 2.5%.
Passenger traffic through Spanish ports rose by 3.6% through September compared to 2023, with 31.8 million passenger movements.