Stopovers

During this year the Port of Barcelona logged a total of 8,383 stopovers, with an average ship tonnage of 43,450 tonnes (+2%).

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Development of cargo traffic* by type of packaging (thousand tonnes), 2020–2024

Sectors	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Containerised cargo	31,980	37,455	37,610	33,525	37,681
Conventional cargo	9,555	10,713	11,415	11,222	11,661
Liquid bulk	12,799	12,370	15,553	12,919	13,689
Dry bulk	4,059	4,459	4,549	4,795	4,800
TOTAL	58,393	64,997	69,127	62,461	67,831

*Excludes fishing and provisioning, tare weight, etc.

Containers

The year 2024 closed with record-breaking volumes of container traffic – 3.9 million TEU (+19%) – due primarily to the increase in transshipment TEU. This was driven by the shift to maritime routes via the Cape of Good Hope, which the world’s major shipping lines had to use as it was impossible to access the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal – a consequence of attacks by Houthi rebels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This rerouting affected the ports of the eastern Mediterranean in particular and, consequently, both the Port of Barcelona and others in the west served as transshipment hubs for the major shipping routes, using smaller vessels to supply affected ports.

Also worth highlighting is the 8% rise in full TEUs for external trade, fuelled by positive results in both imports (+11%) and exports (+5%).

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Export

In 2024, full export containers totalled 794,440 TEU (+4.6%), driven notably by the increase in the second half of the year, which was seen across virtually all representative sectors: chemicals, capital goods, food, feed and miscellaneous manufactured products.

This year growth was driven by the United Arab Emirates and China, the main target markets, followed by Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Exports to Algeria were virtually non-existent due to the trade blockade by that country’s government owing to the Spanish government’s position on the Western Sahara. In any case, the re-establishment of relations in the fourth quarter translated to a slight recovery at year-end.

This year pork exports (68,925 TEU) fell slightly (-1%) due to the decline in sales to China following the recovery of its pig population. Despite this, the Asian country remains the main target market, accounting for 43% of exports. The Philippines stands out among the markets showing a positive performance.

Moreover, alfalfa exports (38,260 TEU) were up 31% following the product’s recovery after a 2023 affected by weak demand and a drought that hurt production. Despite remaining well below past volumes, 2024 displayed an incipient recovery.

Target markets

Asia/Oceania: received 45% of all export containers channelled by the Port of Barcelona in 2024. This year modest growth (+1%) was recorded, greatly influenced by declines in India and Indonesia, chiefly in paper waste, and in China, where the sharp drop in paper and pulp exports (-39%) kept total growth in trade with that country at 3%.

Americas: received 27% of the Port’s exports and the main destinations – United States (+7%), Mexico (+15%), Brazil (+12%), Chile (+12%) and Colombia (+27%) – logged significant increases.

Africa: with 14% of the Port’s export market share, Africa displayed a slight change in trend after recent years’ shrinkage of the North African market. This was also due to the end of Spain’s trade restrictions with Algeria (see above), which meant that 1,740 TEU could be exported in December – up from a monthly average of just 35 throughout 2024. The main recipients of exports from the continent were the markets of Morocco (+30%) and Egypt (+24%).

The attached map shows export market shares by area, as well as 2024 data for the five main trading partners – China, the United States, Turkey, Mexico and Morocco – in exports received from the Port of Barcelona.

Vehicles

During this year, vehicle traffic stood at 682,082 units (-14%), a decline which was largely determined by the sharp drop in imports and transits. Of the total traffic, 111,900 units were cabotage in Spain and 570,182 international traffic.

Exports

Exports made up 63% of total vehicle traffic and showed positive growth, with a total of 428,999 vehicles (+4%), driven by the recovery from the component shortage crisis. As the year progressed, a stable and improving pace of parts supply enabled the growth of vehicle production and exports.

Imports

Imports made up 23% of total vehicle traffic and reached 155,960 vehicles (-40%), nearly 100,000 units fewer than the previous year, when such operations broke records. The main reason was the decline in import traffic from China – from 90,340 vehicles in 2023 to 34,864 this year – a result of the change in distribution strategy of one of the brands with the most activity during 2023.

Also significant to a certain degree were the situation at the Suez Canal – which reduced Barcelona’s competitiveness in terms of emissions and transit time – and insufficient space at the vehicle yard and the attendant diversion of ships in the first half of 2024. Nevertheless, this year new vehicle brands were incorporated that used the Port of Barcelona as a gateway to southern Europe.

To these figures must be added the approximately 60,000 vehicles that arrived in containers and compensated for insufficient capacity in car-carriers. As with vehicles arriving in ro-ro mode, these are deconsolidated in the car terminals for subsequent management. Namely, the units undergo pre-delivery inspections and are distributed by truck, train or ship.

Although the effect was not yet felt in 2024, many Chinese brands have already established operations in the European Union or are considering doing so to avoid EU tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. One example is the agreement between Ebro and Chery, which recently opened the Ebro Factory at the site of the former Nissan factory.

Transshipments or transit

The Port of Barcelona experienced a 21% drop in operations of this type, which made up 14% of all traffic. These mainly involve ships arriving from the Far East and linking to closer countries such as Italy, Belgium and the Balearic Islands.

Achievements in 2024

To consolidate the Port of Barcelona’s position as a distribution hub for the Mediterranean and northern Europe, further efforts were dedicated in 2024 to developing European-gauge rail services to enable the transfer of goods from ship to train and thus reduce the use of trucks in the last mile. There are currently weekly services to Germany, Austria and France (see “Rail Services” section in the Management chapter).

Five car-carriers were supplied liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a total of 10 bunkering operations. For the new vehicles sector, key for Barcelona’s port activity, this marks a new milestone in the decarbonisation of the logistics chain.

The Port of Barcelona Management Board has approved the call for tenders for the concession of a third public vehicle terminal at Príncep d’Espanya wharf.

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Liquid and dry bulk

Liquid bulk

During 2024 a total of 13,688,693 tonnes (+6.3%) of liquid bulk were registered, an increase driven especially by the behaviour of gasoline traffic and natural gas inflows.

Hydrocarbons largely held steady compared to the previous year, with 9,377,546 tonnes handled. After the sharp global decline recorded in 2023, gasoline experienced a 40% recovery in transit traffic.

Natural gas closed the year slightly above 2 million tonnes (-34%), a sharp decline. Low domestic demand, due mainly to higher demand in the energy sector following the increased use of renewables in electricity generation, meant that the main regasification plants (such as Barcelona) operated at a loss. In addition, the Virtual Single Tanker policy and the Russia–Ukraine war favoured other regasification plants in the west, such as Huelva, since traders are seeking shorter routes and cheaper freight rates and have opted for routes to the Gulf Coast of the United States or to the North Sea.

Chemical products traffic doubled (+108%) to reach 2.4 million tonnes.

Biofuels fell by 30% to roughly one million tonnes.

Traffic in oils and fats – fairly stable given demand is mainly industrial – dropped slightly to 833,513 tonnes (-4%).

Dry bulk

At 4,799,502 tonnes total (+0.1%), dry bulk traffic marginally exceeded the all-time high recorded last year. This result was due to imports, which rose by 5%, while exports closed the year down 4%.

As a result of the prolonged drought, which pushed down domestic production, import traffic rose, buoyed mainly by maize (549,383 tonnes; +14%) and the leading dry bulk product, soya beans (1,672,187 tonnes total, +10%). Moreover, cement and common salt traffic fell (-12% and -5%, respectively), together accounting for nearly 1.3 million tonnes.

Short sea shipping

According to the definition of the European Short-sea Network, short sea shipping (SSS) is the maritime traffic of goods and passengers between ports located in European territory or between these ports and those located in non-European countries with a coastline in the seas surrounding Europe. In the Port of Barcelona’s case, SSS includes traffic with the Balearic and Canary Islands (cabotage) and freight travelling on the Motorways of the Sea (regular services between Barcelona and various destinations in Italy and North Africa).

In 2024 this traffic – general cargo that is shipped by truck, platform, trailer, etc. – registered a new record high of 427,734 intermodal transport units (ITU). The 2.9% growth was split equally between external traffic/Motorways of the Sea and cabotage, with the latter logging a total of 267,108 ITU (+3.1%) – mostly with the Balearic Islands (264,353 ITU) and driven by an increase in tourism, or its stabilisation at pre-pandemic levels. Passenger transport with the Balearic Islands totalled 1,223,539 passengers (+4.7%).

*ITU (intermodal transport unit) is any means, self-propelled or otherwise, that is used directly or indirectly as a means of land transport

Motorways of the Sea: In 2024 Barcelona shipped a total of 158,097 ITU (+2.3%) to Italy and Morocco on the Motorways of the Sea or short sea shipping (SSS) services. This volume of traffic is equal to the number of trucks that were diverted from roads to the more economically and environmentally efficient maritime mode. Cargo totalled more than 4.6 million tonnes (+0.4%). In addition, this type of service logged 515,898 passengers (-9%), still 20% below the pre-pandemic record of 2019.

Motorways of the Sea

In 2024 Barcelona shipped a total of 158,097 ITU (+2.3%) to Italy and Morocco on the Motorways of the Sea or short sea shipping (SSS) services. This volume of traffic is equal to the number of trucks that were diverted from roads to the more economically and environmentally efficient maritime mode. Cargo totalled more than 4.6 million tonnes (+0.4%).

In addition, this type of service logged 515,898 passengers (-9%), still 20% below the pre-pandemic record of 2019.

	2020	2021	2022
	428 +2,9%	414	419

Rail traffic

In recent years rail traffic has made steady progress and therefore helps to make the logistics chains passing through the Port more sustainable.

Containers

In 2024 close to 219,039 containers (-14.4%) entered or left the Port area by train, putting the rail share of containers at 10%, three points below the figure from 2023. This traffic was harmed by the numerous track closures to improve the rail network that occurred during 2024 and made it difficult to establish or maintain intermodal supply chains.

Vehicles

Operational difficulties in the construction work to adapt the Castellbisbal head to the new gauge led to a decline in rail vehicle traffic, which fell to 295,059 units (-4.6%). However, the rail share of vehicles made up 50.6% of total vehicle traffic – five points higher than in 2023.

Finished automobile logistics at the Port also involves receiving and shipping vehicles via land transport. These operations are conducted primarily with international UIC gauge trains, which account for roughly 80,000 more vehicle units that are managed comprehensively at the Port’s terminals and make it a key piece in the European distribution of many brands, both inbound and outbound.

Sustainability

In 2024 the Port of Barcelona’s rail services led to annual savings of 48,533 tonnes of CO₂. The Port of Barcelona’s commitment to using rail and short sea shipping (SSS) meant removing a total of 327,898 trucks from the road this year and 3.4 million in the last ten years. These calculations are based on rail transport of containers and vehicles. For SSS, transport of semi-trailers with goods and transport of sales vehicles are considered.

Passenger movements

This year the overall recovery of passenger traffic was consolidated: the 5.4 million passengers (+1.7%) passing through the Port marked an increase of 16% relative to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In ferry transport, the 1,739,467 passengers (+0.2%) recorded represented a slight increase over 2023 and set a new record.

Cruise ships

In 2024, cruise activity marked another milestone: a record total of 3,655,981 passengers (+2.4%), representing 2.2 million visitors to the city. The number of stopovers – 793 – was down slightly (10 fewer than in 2023), putting the average capacity of the cruise ships calling at Barcelona at 87%.

Particularly relevant is that the recorded growth was seen exclusively in turnarounds, that is, passengers starting and/or ending their trip in Barcelona. These types of operations made up 56% of the traffic recorded in 2024, up 3% over the previous year.