Valencia keeps position as Spain’s dominant port despite economic crisis

THE port of Valencia kept its 40% share of Spain’s import and export sea-based market in 2022 despite the economic crisis.

The east-coast facility maintained the same percentage as the previous year to keep it in the forefront of Spanish maritime trade.

Container traffic was down by 9.8% on 2021 levels but there was a post-pandemic boost in car and cruise passenger numbers.

Valencia’s port authority said over 79 million tons of goods went through its facility, a fall of 9.85% compared to 2021- in line with a 10% slowdown in world shipping traffic.

Two million transit containers used the port, compared to 2.4 million the previous year.

There’s been an increase of natural gas supplies coming in from the United States and other countries, due to the Ukraine war.

Another consequence of the conflict is that cereal and flour imports have come from other countries with a 12% rise in those commodity shipments using Valencia.

Over 603,000 cars were imported- over 22% more than in 2021.

Passenger traffic reached 1.37 million people (including ferries and cruise passengers)- up 116%.

750,499 ferry passengers (+48.67%) and 623,053 cruise passengers (+376%) were registered last year.