The cargo traffic through the ports of general interest reached 230,991,975 tons in the first five months of 2026, a figure that represents an increase of 0.3% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data published this Monday by the Public Agency Ports of the State. After a start to the fiscal year marked by declines, May has recorded a slight recovery, mainly sustained by liquid bulk and containers.
General cargo contracted by 0.7% in the annual cumulative, with 115.84 million tons moved. Within this category, conventional cargo experienced an increase of one-tenth, while containerized cargo fell by 1.1%.
TEUs recorded a growth of 2.8% to exceed 7.79 million units, a variation lower than the 4.2% in April and 3.6% in March, although it maintains the path of recovery. Transit grew by 2.8% and import-export traffic by 2.9%.
Liquid bulk registered a rise of 3.9%, with 76.66 million tons moved since January, thanks to the push from gasoline, fuel oil, biofuels, and chemical products. On the other hand, solid bulk moderated its decline to 32.18 million tons accumulated (-3.6%), with a monthly figure for May higher than the same month in 2025 (7.14 million compared to 6.51 million).
Ro-ro traffic fell by 1.5%, a less pronounced drop than in previous months, to 31.33 million tons. The number of merchant ships that called at Spanish ports decreased by 3.7%, to 61,053 units, with a gross tonnage 2.2% lower than in the previous fiscal year. Regarding passenger traffic, 13.85 million movements were recorded until May, 1.5% less than in the same period of 2025.
Data from the Spanish port system shows a mixed performance across segments, with liquids as the main support for the aggregated figures against the adjustment of general cargo and solids. The complete statistics can be consulted in the sectionPortStats of El Estrecho Digital.
