Year to date · January–August 2026
35.3 million tonnes
August 2026 only
4.24 million tonnes
Full year 2025
51.3 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
9.7%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 35.3 million tonnes of chemicals in the year to August 2026, 1.1% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 4.24 million tonnes, 0.4% more than in August 2025.
By type of cargo, 51.1% travelled as liquid bulk, 44.5% as general cargo and 4.4% as dry bulk. The item accounts for 9.7% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in chemicals came to 51.3 million tonnes, 4.9% more than in 2024: 26 million tonnes unloaded and 25.3 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 82.3% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 28 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 15.1 million tonnes in 2025 (3.8% more than in 2024). It is followed by Barcelona (8.91 million) and Valencia (8.06 million). Together, the three account for 62.5% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by A Coruña (+58.8%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (+54.9%) and Las Palmas (+48.6%); the steepest falls by Santander (−8.0%), Castellón (−6.6%) and Valencia (−4.8%). The comparison is limited to port authorities that account for at least 1% of the total, so that an extreme swing at a small player does not distort the picture.
The rest of the top ten are Tarragona (4th, 3.6 million, −0.9%), Bilbao (5th, 2.86 million, −0.3%), Huelva (6th, 2.84 million, +20.2%), Las Palmas (7th, 2.11 million, +48.6%), Cartagena (8th, 1.15 million, +29.8%), Ferrol-San Cibrao (9th, 1.03 million, −1.6%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (10th, 993,631 tonnes, +54.9%).
At the bottom of the table are Pasaia (14,210 tonnes), Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (12,567 tonnes) and Melilla (10,036 tonnes), out of a total of 28 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 75.1% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 18 port authorities further down share the remaining 9.1%. 16 of the 28 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 11 of them by double digits, and 12 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 5 are above the same month of 2025 and 3 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is up 2.9% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in January (down 10.3%); the highest point in the series was April, at 4.87 M, and the lowest January, at 3.68 M.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 25.9 M to 51.3 M, an increase of 98.5% over 14 years (+5.0% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2011 (25.9 M).
Top 10 · Chemicals by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · chemicals
Full table · 28 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 15.1 M | +3.8% | 7.71 M | 29.5% | Port |
| 2 | Barcelona | 8.91 M | +0.1% | 4.96 M | 17.4% | Port |
| 3 | Valencia | 8.06 M | −4.8% | 4.2 M | 15.7% | Port |
| 4 | Tarragona | 3.6 M | −0.9% | 1.53 M | 7.0% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 2.86 M | −0.3% | 1.01 M | 5.6% | Port |
| 6 | Huelva | 2.84 M | +20.2% | 623,030 | 5.5% | Port |
| 7 | Las Palmas | 2.11 M | +48.6% | 1.46 M | 4.1% | Port |
| 8 | Cartagena | 1.15 M | +29.8% | 730,099 | 2.2% | Port |
| 9 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 1.03 M | −1.6% | 249,726 | 2.0% | Port |
| 10 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 993,631 | +54.9% | 813,412 | 1.9% | Port |
| 11 | A Coruña | 822,047 | +58.8% | 575,313 | 1.6% | Port |
| 12 | Castellón | 771,308 | −6.6% | 646,063 | 1.5% | Port |
| 13 | Santander | 651,762 | −8.0% | 151,672 | 1.3% | Port |
| 14 | Avilés | 643,008 | −3.5% | 362,813 | 1.3% | Port |
| 15 | Málaga | 344,481 | +34.2% | 165,848 | 0.7% | Port |
| 16 | Ceuta | 219,522 | +6,514.1% | 143,407 | 0.4% | Port |
| 17 | Baleares | 215,289 | +33.5% | 183,953 | 0.4% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 200,940 | +1.8% | 116,741 | 0.4% | Port |
| 19 | Vigo | 157,943 | −25.1% | 119,727 | 0.3% | Port |
| 20 | Bahía de Cádiz | 138,210 | −9.1% | 37,008 | 0.3% | Port |
| 21 | Vilagarcía | 118,480 | +15.9% | 92,015 | 0.2% | Port |
| 22 | Gijón | 104,113 | +17.0% | 25,015 | 0.2% | Port |
| 23 | Almería | 101,935 | −2.8% | 22,774 | 0.2% | Port |
| 24 | Alicante | 98,388 | +16.6% | 32,246 | 0.2% | Port |
| 25 | Motril | 25,307 | −3.1% | 18,579 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Pasaia | 14,210 | +1.3% | 14,210 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 12,567 | −30.9% | 3,522 | 0.0% | Port |
| 28 | Melilla | 10,036 | +4.1% | 9,319 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
This item covers organic and inorganic chemicals, plastics and their derivatives, both as liquid bulk and in containers. Puertos del Estado publishes every month the tonnes of this commodity loaded, unloaded or in transit across all ports of general interest, as a cumulative figure since January, and once a year the breakdown by port authority. Figures for the current year are provisional until the yearbook is published.
Context
The petrochemical complexes of Tarragona, Huelva and Bahía de Algeciras account for most of the bulk, which moves through specialised terminals. The share carried in containers passes through Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras, where international transhipment also counts.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of chemicals have Spanish ports handled this year?
35.3 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 1.1% more than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most chemicals?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 15.1 million tonnes in 2025, 29.5% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
By type of cargo, 51.1% travelled as liquid bulk, 44.5% as general cargo and 4.4% as dry bulk in the year to August 2026.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes the data every month. Latest data available: August 2026.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo by commodity, annual series or see the original source.