Barcelona port container traffic increases by 20% up until April

The Port of Barcelona is a hub of endless activity. In terms of goods traffic, it continues to grow. The trend of record figures seen in 2017, when traffic increased by 26% making it the fastest growing port in Europe, has continued into this year. In the first four months of 2018, container traffic increased by 20% compared to the same period last year. By April, the maritime facility had already handled more than one million containers.

It has also seen an increase in other activities, including the movement of passengers. By the fourth month of the year, 918,104 travellers passed through the port. Cruise ship activity has also risen by 30%.

Sending overseas

Containers destined for exporting goods abroad increased by 6.5%, while import increased by 5%. The port has also seen growth in exchanges with diverse markets around the world, such as Algeria (+ 55%), the United States (+ 10%, India (+ 13%), Mexico (+ 10%), Vietnam (+ 29%) and Brazil (+ 19%).

Economic input

The Port of Barcelona directly and indirectly generates a total of 9.2 billion euros for the Catalan economy and accounts for 5.4% of Catalonia’s workforce. That is according to the port authorities, who presented figures in January showing the infrastructure’s financial impact.