The Port of Barcelona presented its strategic partnership with China’s leading port in Shanghai this week. During the same trip, it also discussed its role in maritime connections between Asia and Europe. The president of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell, was one of only two port representatives invited to speak at Sister Ports Night, held as part of the North Bund Forum. At the session, cooperation between Barcelona and Shanghai was presented as an example of collaboration and trust between ports.
The North Bund Forum is one of the leading annual gatherings of China’s logistics sector. It brings together institutions and major companies from the country’s maritime, logistics, and aviation sectors. The Barcelona delegation, led by Carbonell, combined its participation in the forum with visits to some of the Port of Shanghai’s most advanced terminals and several working meetings. These included a meeting between Carbonell and Song Xiaodong, president of the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG).
The visit continues the international cooperation strategy that the Port of Barcelona has pursued in recent years with ports around the world, particularly Shanghai. The two ports recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement and are now developing a Green & Digital Corridor, a green and digital corridor designed to enable more sustainable and efficient maritime transport between Asia and Europe.
The relationship between the two ports, which has lasted for more than two decades, took center stage at Sister Ports Night. The evening was also attended by Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and senior representatives of SIPG and the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission (SMTC).
