Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Jul 25, 2012 8:59AM EDT
The volume of containers handled by the Port of Barcelona declined by 20 percent in the first six months of the year from the same period last year, primarily because of a 49 percent drop in transshipment containers.
Container throughput at the Spanish port dropped to 849,973 20-foot-equivalent units in the six months through June.
Exports containers increased by 5 percent year-over-year, but imports declined by 14 percent because of reduced European demand.
The volume of export containers recorded the highest growth rate for the six-month period in June, with a 14 percent year-over-year increase, primarily in the form of increased shipments to China, Algeria and Argentina.
New vehicles constituted the best performing product in terms of sales in international markets. Between January and June, the port's roll-on, roll-off terminals handled a total of 197,613 export vehicles, up 14.4 percent from the same period last year.
Export vehicles account for 58 percent of all vehicle movements in the port and are principally destined for Germany, Algeria, Australia, China, Mexico, Russia, Morocco and, to a lesser extent, Ukraine and Tunisia.
Altogether, the Port of Barcelona handled a total of 343,620 vehicles through May, including exports, imports, and cabotage. In June, the volume of cars handled increased by 21 percent year-over-year, the biggest monthly increase so far this year.
Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @petertleach.
