The Algeciras Bay Chamber of Commerce has organized a trade mission to Tokyo, in which eleven companies from the maritime, port and logistics sectors will participate from October 27 to 29. The initiative has a budget of €86,664.44, of which €56,000 will be provided as direct grants to participating companies. It is being carried out in collaboration with the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay (APBA) and Comport, the port community association.
The initiative is part of the Direct Trade Mission to Tokyo 2026, included in the Pyme Global program, promoted by the Algeciras Bay Chamber of Commerce through the Chamber of Spain. The program is co-financed at 85% by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the participation of the Planning, Coordination and Strategic Development Department of the Provincial Council of Cádiz.
The initiative aims to facilitate small and medium-sized companies in the maritime and port sector gaining access to new international markets through business events, institutional meetings and direct contacts with Japanese companies involved in maritime transport and logistics.
Applications to participate in the mission were open from July 27 to September 10 and were aimed at companies in the maritime and port sector in the province of Cádiz. The delegation has a total of 18 travel grants, funded from the budget allocated to the initiative.
The eleven participating companies are Total Logistic Services, Mertramar Algeciras, Sandvik Marine Electronics, Blay Marine Tech, Crosscomar, Talleres Navales Valencia, Gibunco Ship Agency, Zener Marine Elevator Services, Elcome Europe, Radio Ondas Servicios Marítimos and Neko Ship Supply.
These companies operate in different segments of the maritime and port services chain, including ship agency and provisioning, ship repair, maritime electronics and communications, transport, logistics and customs services.
The business agenda includes three days of activities in Tokyo, with institutional meetings, company presentations and working sessions with representatives of the Japanese maritime sector.
Planned activities include a session with the Spanish ambassador to Japan and the embassy’s economic and commercial counsellor, where they will present the characteristics of the Japanese market and business opportunities for Spanish companies.
One of the main events will be a presentation of the Port of Algeciras to representatives of Japanese shipping companies and maritime operators, organized by the APBA with the support of the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Tokyo.
The presentation will feature the president of the Port Authority, Gerardo Landaluce, and the president of Comport, José Manuel Tejedor, who will present the maritime, port and logistics services offered by Algeciras Bay.
The meeting will highlight the port of Algeciras’ main performance indicators. The port handles more than 100 million tonnes of cargo annually and ranks first in Europe in the World Bank’s 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI). According to information provided by the Chamber, Algeciras is also Europe’s third-largest port for supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel.
The program will include business networking sessions between Spanish and Japanese companies, designed to facilitate the exchange of information about services, operational needs and potential business relationships.
The mission will conclude on Thursday, October 29, with participation in the TradeWinds Shipowners Forum Japan 2026, an international gathering of shipowners and maritime industry representatives, where APBA president Gerardo Landaluce will speak.
The forum will address issues relating to developments in international maritime transport, decarbonization, alternative fuels, investment in new technologies and the effects of the geopolitical situation on trade routes and supply chains.
The delegation’s companies will also attend the closing business reception, scheduled as part of the event, to network with representatives of shipping companies and operators in the Japanese market.
The mission is supported by the APBA, Comport, the Embassy of Spain in Japan and Peninsula, as well as by financial backing from the ERDF and the Provincial Council of Cádiz.
The Algeciras Bay Chamber of Commerce is carrying out this initiative as part of its business internationalization programs, which provide funding and assistance to SMEs taking part in trade initiatives in foreign markets.
