Port of Valencia container volume up to 4,670,160 TEUs in November
Between January and November, more than 73 million tonnes of goods passed through the docks of Sagunto, Valencia and Gandia, a figure that is 6.12% less than in the same period of the previous year, according to the company's release. And the same is true of container traffic, which in the first 11 months of the year has fallen by 9.55% – especially in transhipment TEUs – a trend that is occurring worldwide. Nevertheless, the Port of Valencia confirms its position as the benchmark in Southern Europe for international trade in containerised goods. And this can be seen in Valenciaport’s market share with respect to the Spanish port system. A share that has remained close to 40% for several years; and also, during the current financial year, as was seen last January with 39.91%, and currently – at the end of November – with 39.58%.
Where there is a slight variation is in the percentage of total container traffic (including transhipments). In this case, Valenciaport’s share went from 31.81% in January to 29.88% in November. A variation of -1.93% which is essentially due to the diversion to other ports of containers which are neither the origin nor the destination of Spanish companies.
In this conjunctural situation, it should be noted that the natural gas handled through the Port of Sagunto has doubled in the first eleven months of the year compared to the same period last year. So far in 2021, a total of 3,755,983 tonnes have been mobilised, an increase of 115%. In fact, the number of ships dedicated to the transport of products such as energy has been 297 up to November, 13.4% more than the previous year. The United States accounts for 53% of imports, followed by Nigeria, which holds 20%, highlighting the increase in natural gas from this African country in recent months.
One of the outstanding data of these first 11 months of 2022 is the increase in the number of containers entering or leaving the Port of Valencia by train. Thus, according to the Statistical Bulletin of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) during this period 216,965 containers have been moved by rail, 10.24% more than the previous year, while the total of goods transported by train has been 2,851,377, with an increase of 5.1%. This increase in rail contrasts with the 2.83% decrease in TEUs arriving by road.
During the first half of the year more than 2,100 trains loaded or unloaded at the Port of Valencia, with a weekly average of 83 trains (with peaks close to 90) compared to an average of 77 for the same period in 2021. A commitment that is also reflected in the budget with an investment of 240 million euros to promote the accessibility and improvement of its inland rail network, the connections with the main rail corridors and to promote the structuring of the territory.
According to PAV data, between January and November, a total of 6,897 ships have docked at Valenciaport’s docks, which represents a 3% growth compared to the previous month. In addition to tankers, which grew by 13.4%, it is worth noting the 20.8% increase in bulk carriers.
Regarding automobile traffic, in these first eleven months of the year, it should be noted that 544,115 units have been handled through the docks of Valencia and Sagunto, an 18.53% increase. In absolute figures, 85,052 more vehicles have been moved than in the same period of 2021. This vehicle traffic is mainly with Italy, Belgium and Turkey, which account for 50% of the operations, followed by the United Kingdom with 6% of the cars moved, Japan and the United States with 5%, respectively.
As for ro-ro traffic (system by which a vessel transports cargo on wheels), total traffic was 11,938,430 tonnes, 0.73% more than the same period in 2021.
Passenger traffic stood at 1,295,242 people (including regular lines and cruise passengers), with a total growth of 122%. Specifically, 697,000 regular line passengers (+52%) and 598,242 cruise passengers (+381%, due to the recovery of pre-COVID traffic) were recorded. The number of cruise ships that docked at the Port of Valencia was 288, three times more than last year.
Total freight traffic up to the month of November exceeds 73.54 million tonnes, which represents a decrease of 6.12% compared to the same period of the previous year. Of these, 51.97 million correspond to containerised goods, which marks a fall of 11.84%, while another 13.7 million correspond to non-containerised goods, a similar figure to the 2021 financial year. Liquid bulk cargo reached 5.37 million tonnes with a growth of 60.33%, while solid bulk cargo reached 2.14 million tonnes and an increase of 9.76%.
Thus, between January and November, a total of 4,670,160 TEUs (standard 20-foot container) have been mobilised in Valenciaport, 9.55% less than the previous year. The fall was mainly in transit containers (those which, for strategic reasons, are transported between main ports that act as a base, and which are subsequently transferred to the ports of destination) with a drop of 16%, containers that have been transferred to other ports in the Mediterranean. This trend has been observed throughout the year, with relative monthly drops in double digits.
About export containers, the data up to November show a drop of 8%, while full TEUs for unloading (import) continue to record positive figures with a growth of 3.39%. Empty TEUs fell by 6.5%. Nevertheless, Valenciaport continues to maintain a share of close to 40% of the export/import traffic of the Spanish port system.
For the month of November alone, the Bulletin data show a 22.3% drop in total traffic and a 28.12% drop in containers, which recorded negative figures for loading, unloading and transit. In year-on-year terms (December 2021-November 2022), 80.07 million tonnes have been mobilised (-6%) and TEUs stand at 5,111,266 (-9.5%).
Among goods, it is worth noting the general decline in traffic in the first eleven months of the year in all sectors except energy (+77.81%), other goods (+3%), vehicles and transport elements (+1.5%) and agricultural, livestock and foodstuffs (+0.66%). By products, it is worth highlighting the 6.69% increase in exports of automobiles and their parts, and the 10.34% increase in feed and fodder, and imports of cereals and their flours (+33.8%).
About total traffic by country, the United States is the one that has generated most movement with a total of 7,779,518 tonnes and a growth of 11.8%. This is followed by Italy with 6,954,211 tonnes – a similar figure to 2021 – while China is in third place with a decrease of 9.5% and a total of 5,661,562. The Asian giant ranks first in container traffic with 494,868 (-11%), followed by the United States with 454,950 (-6.7%) and Turkey with 233,940 (-19%).
By geographical areas, the main container market is the Mediterranean-Black Sea with 760,743 and a drop of 15%; followed by the Far East with 678,665 (-7.95%); and West Africa with 270,264 TEUs (-11%). The most dynamic areas between January and October were Atlantic Europe with a growth of 23.4%, New Zealand (+17.4%) and Australia (+7.65%).
The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV),which trades under the name of VALENCIAPORT, is the public body responsible for running and managing three state-owned ports along an 80km stretch of the Mediterranean coast in Eastern Spain: Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía.
