Shipping traffic increases by 14.2% at the Port of Tarragona between January and September

25.16 million tonnes of shipping traffic passed through the Port of Tarragona from January to September this year, an increase of 14.2% more than the same period in 2016. According to the Port Authority, the 3.43 million tonnes moved in September, 36.4% more than last year, makes it the best September in the port’s recorded history.

Oil and petroleum products increased by 20.6% to 15.5 million tonnes, while livestock traffic also increased by 29.3%. The vehicle terminal also registered a 30.5% increase compared to 2016, with nearly 150,000 units being handled by the port.

In terms of agri-food products, the Port of Tarragona is a leader in the Mediterranean region. From January to September in 2017, 1.4 million tonnes of feed and flour was moved, demonstrating an increase of 25%. A total of 315,000 tonnes of salt was also handled, 3.5 times more than the same period last year.

43,636 cruise ship passengers also passed through the port, an increase of 282% when compared to the previous year. This is due to the opening of a Costa Cruceros route with Tarragona as a port base.

Exports and imports continue to grow

For the first three quarters of the year, exports also showed continuing growth, up by 32.9% more than 2016 with nearly 4.5 million tonnes of goods being shipped abroad. Imports also registered an increase of 13.7%, with more than 17.5 million tonnes of goods being imported in the first nine months of 2017.