The cargo traffic through the general interest ports reached 277,681,553 tons in the first half of 2026, with an increase of 0.8% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the monthly summary published by Ports of the State with data up to June. The figure confirms a change in trend compared to the previous months and returns the Spanish port system to positive territory in the annual accumulation, in a context marked by global geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Only in June, Spanish ports moved 47,026,236 tons, compared to 45,308,358 in the same month of 2025, an increase of 3.8%. The behavior by presentations shows disparate evolutions: liquid bulk cargoes consolidate their improvement, general cargo barely moves, and solid bulk cargoes continue to decline.
Liquid bulk cargoes total 91,385,889 tons in the accumulation, with an increase of 4.8%. Behind this figure are gasoline, which rises by 9.6% to 11.53 million tons; fuel oil, up 14% with 6.14 million; biofuels, up 12.6%; and chemical products, increasing by 10.6% to nearly 13.17 million. Crude oil rises by 2.4% to 29.82 million tons, while natural gas falls by 4.1% and petroleum gas by 9%. Diesel remains almost flat, with a slight decline of 0.2%.
Solid bulk cargoes continue to be negative with 38,241,546 tons moved, 4% less than a year earlier. The biggest burden comes from iron ore, which falls by 36.5% to 2.44 million tons, and coal and petroleum coke, which contract by 27.1% to 3.49 million. Cement and clinker decrease by 10.8% and scrap iron by 25.6%. Conversely, cereals and their flours advance by 8.8% to 7.66 million tons, and soybeans grow by 25.1%.
General cargo closes the semester at 140,330,113 tons, with a slight decline of 0.4%. Conventional cargo increases by 1% to 45.38 million tons, while containerized cargo falls by 1.1% to 94.94 million. In terms of units, TEUs maintain an upward trend, totaling 9,417,467 by June, an increase of 2.4%. Import-export grows by 3% to 3,472,354 TEUs, transit containers increase by 2.1% to 4,874,751, and domestic origin and destination containers rise by 1.4%.
Ro-ro traffic halts the accumulated decline seen in previous months and closes the semester with 38,086,359 tons, 0.5% less. Intermodal transport units fall by 1% to 1,619,979.
By ports, the Bay of Algeciras remains the primary enclave of the system with 50,037,368 tons moved by June, 1.6% less. Valencia stands at 39,960,775 tons (-3%) and Barcelona at 35,865,366 tons, with an increase of 3.5%. Among the fastest growers is Bilbao, with 17,339,602 tons and an increase of 12.3%; Cartagena, with 17,536,561 tons (+8.3%); and Tarragona, with 15,190,476 tons (+5.9%). Conversely, Gijón records the most pronounced decline in the national top, with a drop of 27.6% to 6,326,001 tons, driven by the decrease in solid bulk cargoes. Alicante leads the percentage growth among medium ports, with a jump of 24.9%.
The number of merchant ships operating in Spanish ports by June was 76,115, 2.7% below the previous year, with a total gross tonnage of 1,301.83 million GT (-0.9%). The decline moderates compared to previous months. Cruises total 2,503 calls by June, 1.4% more than in the same period of 2025.
Passenger traffic reached 17,554,182 movements, 1.1% less. Passengers transported under transport regime fall by 2.7% to 11.17 million, with the Balearic Islands as the main port by volume. Cruise passengers increase by 1.8% to 6,380,793, with Barcelona (1.77 million) and the Balearic Islands ahead. Automobiles under passenger transport decrease by 2.2% to 3,000,614 units, while those moved as cargo decline by 2.3% to 1,746,215.
Other traffic completes the semiannual picture. Supplies grow by 2.4% to 5,814,952 tons, with the Bay of Algeciras and Las Palmas as the main supply centers. Domestic traffic rises by 2.3% and fishing falls by 19.4% to 57,890 tons unloaded.
All updated data on Spanish port traffic can be consulted in the section PortStats of El Estrecho Digital, breaking down by port authority, type of merchandise, and year-on-year evolution.