• This is reflected in the traffic data of the Statistical Bulletin of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) for the month of June, which shows a 12.61% drop in the number of containers managed by Valenciaport and a 7.17% drop in the volume of tonnes

• The good performance of cruise tourism is confirmed for yet another month, which this month has once again grown in the Port of Valencia and has added 95,884 passengers, double the number of a year ago

• Train transport also continues an upward trend and in the first six months of the year a total of 116,439 TEUs entered and left the Valencian docks by rail: 1,648,624 tonnes were moved, an increase of 12.41%

• Ro-Ro traffic (short sea ro-ro services) grew by 27.83% at Valenciaport docks in June (compared to the same month in 2022) to reach 60,528 units

• Traffics with the Far East area grow again, the number of containers handled in the first half of the year has risen by 1.34% to 386,838 TEUs. China remains the main trading partner, followed by the USA, while the country that most increased its trade relations with the Valencian docks is Vietnam (+27.97% containers)

The trend of contraction in Valenciaport’s freight traffic continues. This is the result of the analysis of June of the Statistical Bulletin of the Port Authority of València (PAV), which shows a 12.61% drop in the number of containers handled and a 7.17% drop in the volume of tonnes. When analysing the accumulated, the evolution of traffic in the first six months of the year shows a 7.96% drop in the volume of tonnes handled from the Valencian precinct and an 11.2% drop in the number of TEU’s (standard 20-foot containers).

The figures reflected in the statistics of the Port Authority of Valencia are in line with those detected by the other major European ports, all of which – like Valencia – have become “pulsometers and thermometers” of the level of strengths and weaknesses of an economic moment affected by geopolitical factors external to port activity. The pattern of port activity shows a trend that is also reflected by other institutions such as, for example, the Chamber of Commerce of València, which a few days ago warned of a 24.6% drop in the issuing of certificates of origin for exports (first six months of 2023). This figure reflects the fact that Valencian trade in third countries is lower than a year ago and is also a behaviour that is repeated in the rest of the European countries with registered decreases of up to 40%.

In the case of València, however, despite the slowdown in activity in terms of goods, the performance of cruise tourism continues to rise.  This month the number of cruise passengers has once again increased in the Port of Valencia, with a total of 95,884 passengers, 100% more than a year ago. The number of total passengers (cruise ships and regular lines) has also grown by 25.24% so far in 2023. In the first six months of the year, the total number of people who have travelled on regular lines with the Balearic Islands and Algeria was 332,888 (+4.42%), while cruise passengers were 272,245 (+65.62%).

Rail transport continues to grow and during the first six months of this year a total of 116,439 TEUs (+9%) entered and left the Valencian docks by rail: 1,648,624 tonnes were moved, an increase of 12.41%. In this sense, the measures promoted by Valenciaport to encourage rail transport, and which are part of the PAV’s Decarbonisation Plan are giving good results and in the accumulated year this type of transport already represents 7.62% of the total (in 2022 the figure was 6.67%).

The latest data from the Statistical Bulletin of the Port Authority of València also show a sustained and continuous increase in the movement of cars so far this year. Thus, between January and June, the docks of Valencia and Sagunto have handled 323,064 units, 9.66% more than in the same period last year.

For its part, ro-ro traffic (short sea ro-ro services) grew at the Valenciaport docks in June by 27.83% (compared to the same month in 2022) to reach 60,528 units. Following a constant upward trend, this type of traffic now totals 6,748,299 tonnes transported in 2023, 2.88% more than in the same period of 2022.

This positive trend is also maintained in the vehicles and transport elements sector, specifically the section of cars and their parts, which has grown in this period by 16.60% to reach 1,046,470 (+148,990). By sectors, vehicles and elements of transport continues to be the one with the greatest weight in Valenciaport, but the sector with the greatest growth is that of fertilisers with 417,211 tonnes (+16.62%).

Egypt and Vietnam, the countries that have increased their traffic the most

China is Valenciaport’s main trading partner with 268,512 containers, closely followed by the United States with 176,824; although the countries that have seen the greatest growth in their traffic with Valenciaport have been Vietnam (+27.97), Egypt (+24.08%), India (14.78%) and Mexico (+11.94%). Traffics with the Far East area grow again, the number of containers handled in the first half of the year has risen by 1.34% to 386,838 TEUs.

Focusing on traffic by country in terms of tonnage, Italy continues to be Valenciaport’s main trading partner with 3,373,669 tonnes handled in the last month (-14.25%), followed by China with 3,089,669 (-1.89%) and the USA with 2,830,834 (-39.57%). Nigeria achieved a growth of 54.33%, Egypt grew again for another month together with India by 32.97% and 22.59%, respectively.