In May, the export and transshipment sectors were the primary drivers of traffic at Valenciaport terminals.
Exports grew for the second consecutive month, and the positive trends seen in April continued.
A total of 516,674 containers moved through Valenciaport terminals in May, representing a 12.05% increase compared to the same month in 2023. Export containers increased by 2.73%, import containers by 0.5%, and full transshipment containers by 13.08%.
This growth is attributed to changes in shipping routes, with lines choosing Valenciaport as a hub for Mediterranean redistribution, bypassing the Red Sea and navigating around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
The Valenciaport Statistical Bulletin indicates that ro-ro traffic (maritime services for roll-on/roll-off cargo, lorries, platforms, etc.) grew by 6.70% in the first five months of the year, while Intermodal Transport Units (UTIs) saw an 8.86% increase.
Overall, during the first five months of this year, companies operating with Valenciaport handled 33.77 million tonnes of cargo through its terminals, marking a 5.87% increase from the same period last year. Over the last 12 months, growth has stabilized at 3.12%, totalling 78.61 million tonnes.
In terms of containers, traffic from January to May reached 2,221,764 TEUs, reflecting a 12.36% increase. The year-on-year figure for May was 5,041,447 TEUs, up 4.50%.
By sector, Valenciaport data highlight stability in construction materials (-0.61%) and growth in vehicles and transport elements (+7.27%), iron and steel (+5.52%), non-metallic minerals (+19.76%), fertilizers (+14.45%), chemical products (+11.51%), and agri-foodstuffs (+7.64%). However, energy products saw a significant decrease of 43.54%.
Furthermore, China remains Valenciaport’s primary trading partner, with traffic to the Far East totalling 357,573 TEUs (+11.53%) in the first five months of the year. China exchanged 264,963 containers (3,058,569 tonnes of goods) with Valencia from January to May. Notably, Greece (+87.18%), Egypt (+82.47%), and Saudi Arabia (+57.86%) showed substantial traffic growth with Valencia this year. Ukraine and Algeria also maintained strong relationships with Valenciaport, with traffic increases of 102.43% and 30.08%, respectively, over the past five months.
