Exports from the Port of Barcelona increase by 63% from pre-crisis levels registered in 2008

  • The Port finished the first half of 2014 with 22.5 million tons of goods transported, representing an increase of 7% compared with the same period of 2013.

VilaWeb
Redacció
21.07.2014 - 09:06

La premsa lliure no la paga el govern, la paguen els lectors


Fes-te de VilaWeb, fem-nos lliures

Sixty-three percent more exports have been channeled through the Port of Barcelona during the first six months of 2014 than in the same period of 2008, prior to the economic crisis. On Friday, the President of Barcelona Port Authority, Sixte Cambra, announced that 2014 will be the year of record sums of exports and imports from the Catalan port. The Port finished the first half of 2014 with 22.5 million tons of goods transported, representing an increase of 7% compared with the same period of 2013. Cambra said that growth occurred in all cargo sections of the port, driven by foreign trade, especially exports.

During the presentation on the first half of 2014, Cambra indicated that data of the port’s activities “are not just statistics, they represent the recovery of the economy and companies in the country”. The Chairman of the Port Authority considered that the figures are also a reflection of “the efforts of our companies to reach foreign markets”.

Container traffic has increased by 7% between January and July this year and stood at 886,040 TEUs (one TEU equals one 20ft container). The imported containers have registered a rise of 11%, to reach 214,110 TEUs. In absolute terms, the export containers remain the most significant activity of the port, and have attained a volume of 279,477 TEUs, representing a 1% increase over the same quarter of 2013.

The main market of the port remains in China with a market share of 21% and nearly 115,000 TEUs sharing infrastructure with Barcelona. The main growth of trade in absolute terms within the Port can be attributed to the growing economies of China, Mexico and South Korea, among others. In percentage terms, a growth of trade with Colombia (44%), Thailand (23%) and Bangladesh (50%) has also been registered.

Vehicle traffic increased by 6%

The Port has also seen a growth of 6% in vehicle traffic, which has reached 386,869 units. Exports have also played an important part in this statistic, as vehicle sales abroad has increased by 15% and imports by 8%. The export of vehicles has reached almost 230,000 units and now exceeds the 25% record achieved in 2008.

Number of passengers has lowered by 9%

In terms of passenger transport through Barcelona’s Port, the first six months of 2014 registered 1.3 million passengers, 5% lower than in the first half of 2013. Ferry users have increased by 7% to 426,251, especially thanks to traffic from Italy. Nonetheless, cruise passengers have fallen by up to 946,331 people, down 9%, due to the decrease of cruise ships from the Mediterranean. However, officials of the cruise port hope this number will increase again between 2015 and 2016.

Financial results for the first half

During the first half of 2014, the net revenue of the Port was €74.2 million, a 6% reduction from 2013, while profits totaled €18.6 million, 28% less than during the same period last year. Despite the increase in merchant traffic, the economic results of the Port have fallen because of the 5% reduction of Port charges and the 8% in Port royalties.

Recomanem

La premsa lliure no la paga el govern. La paguem els lectors.

Fes-te de VilaWeb, fem-nos lliures.

Fer-me'n subscriptor
des de 75€ l'any