Port traffic surpasses 332 million tons in the first 7 months of the year

Both liquid bulk (+12.4%) and solid bulk (+11.8%), along with conventional general cargo (+10.9%), show growth compared to 2021. Passenger traffic exceeds 16.3 million people, with 1/5 being cruise passengers.

August 29, 2022 (Public Body Ports of the State). The traffic of goods and passengers through the 46 general interest ports of the State maintains a growth rate of +6.9% in the first seven months of the year, reaching 332,756,499 tons of goods. Even more noteworthy is the increase in passenger traffic, which with 16,268,749 passengers grew by +122%. Thus, 21 of the 28 Port Authorities that manage the general interest ports have experienced increases ranging from +0.3% in Las Palmas to +54.8% in Malaga.

The three major groups of goods based on their presentation, liquid bulk, solid bulk, and general cargo, have experienced increases, with double digits in the case of bulk goods. Liquid bulk, 107,491,212 tons (+12.4%), has been especially favored by the increase in the movement of natural gas (+70%), exceeding 13 million tons, and crude oil (+20%), reaching 38.4 million tons. Solid bulk, 53,239,181 tons (+11.8%), has found its best support in the movement of coal and petroleum coke (+55.6%), rising above 9.8 million tons, and cereals and their flours, which now exceed 7.5 million tons, grew by +39.7%.

General cargo, 163,396,896 tons, grew by +1.2%, with the entire growth attributed to conventional general cargo (+10.9%). In this group, the rise in the movement of wood and cork stands out (+20.4%), and to a lesser extent (+13.5%) minerals and metallic waste.

Transit goods, those using Spanish ports as a hub to be delivered to other countries and/or continents, account for 27% of the total moved in Spanish ports, approaching 87 million tons.

Ro-ro traffic, industrial vehicles loaded with goods that choose to embark for certain routes, exceeded 42.3 million tons, growing by +12.4%.

Container movement, counted in TEUs (6-meter containers), is close to 10.3 million, of which 5.4 million were in transit, 3.7 million were import-export, and 1.2 million were national entries and exits.

Meanwhile, passenger traffic is recovering from the data of the last two years marked by the pandemic and restrictions imposed on routes to North Africa, standing at 12.8 million passengers, to which 3.5 million cruise passengers should be added. Overall, passenger traffic has increased by +122%.

Finally, the traffic of merchant ships through Spanish ports reached 87,670 units in the first seven months of the year, a +15% increase compared to 2021.