Traffic with China · 2025
25.7 million tonnes
Unloaded from China
19.4 million tonnes
Loaded for China
6.24 million tonnes
Rank among countries of origin and destination
4th
What the data say · 2025
Spanish ports handled 25.7 million tonnes of cargo with China in 2025, 13.9% more than in 2024. By volume it ranks 4th among the 211 countries and territories with traffic, with 5.9% of the tonnes exchanged with other countries.
Of that total, 19.4 million tonnes were unloaded from that country (17.1% more than in 2024) and 6.24 million tonnes were loaded for it (5% more than in 2024). Unloading accounts for 75.7% of the traffic and loading for 24.3%.
In 2025, 24 port authorities recorded traffic with China.
2025 is the year with the most traffic in the whole series, which starts in 1962.
Valencia ranks first among port authorities with 9.14 million tonnes in 2025 (15.5% more than in 2024). It is followed by Barcelona (6.88 million) and Bahía de Algeciras (5.26 million). Together, the three account for 82.9% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Tarragona (+118.6%), Las Palmas (+42.9%) and Bahía de Algeciras (+41.3%); the steepest falls by Barcelona (−8.2%) and Gijón (−3.2%). 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 Huelva (4th, 911,496 tonnes, +33.3%), Bilbao (5th, 878,792 tonnes, +31.3%), Las Palmas (6th, 402,041 tonnes, +42.9%), Vigo (7th, 319,485 tonnes, +13.8%), Tarragona (8th, 308,259 tonnes, +118.6%), Gijón (9th, 281,686 tonnes, −3.2%) and Castellón (10th, 246,241 tonnes, +197.6%).
At the bottom of the table are Sevilla (1,067 tonnes), Ceuta (830 tonnes) and Baleares (88 tonnes), out of a total of 24 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 89.8% of the total and 3 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 14 port authorities further down share the remaining 4.1%. 16 of the 23 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 15 of them by double digits, and 7 fell.
Between 2006 and 2025 the figure went from 18.4 M to 25.7 M, an increase of 39.7% over 19 years (+1.8% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2010 (15.3 M).
Top 10 · Traffic with China by port authority · 2025
Traffic with China, year by year
Full table · 24 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 9.14 M | +15.5% | 7.54 M | 35.6% | Port |
| 2 | Barcelona | 6.88 M | −8.2% | 5.13 M | 26.8% | Port |
| 3 | Bahía de Algeciras | 5.26 M | +41.3% | 3.9 M | 20.5% | Port |
| 4 | Huelva | 911,496 | +33.3% | 208,103 | 3.6% | Port |
| 5 | Bilbao | 878,792 | +31.3% | 670,088 | 3.4% | Port |
| 6 | Las Palmas | 402,041 | +42.9% | 180,998 | 1.6% | Port |
| 7 | Vigo | 319,485 | +13.8% | 261,179 | 1.2% | Port |
| 8 | Tarragona | 308,259 | +118.6% | 300,733 | 1.2% | Port |
| 9 | Gijón | 281,686 | −3.2% | 273,684 | 1.1% | Port |
| 10 | Castellón | 246,241 | +197.6% | 181,570 | 1.0% | Port |
| 11 | Cartagena | 231,883 | +14.1% | 139,216 | 0.9% | Port |
| 12 | Málaga | 162,132 | +110.2% | 74,659 | 0.6% | Port |
| 13 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 158,074 | +154.6% | 144,457 | 0.6% | Port |
| 14 | Almería | 117,324 | +31.1% | 115,509 | 0.5% | Port |
| 15 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 108,963 | −32.7% | 108,963 | 0.4% | Port |
| 16 | Alicante | 103,461 | −27.0% | 103,439 | 0.4% | Port |
| 17 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 62,595 | +1.7% | 45,652 | 0.2% | Port |
| 18 | A Coruña | 55,302 | +283.4% | 0 | 0.2% | Port |
| 19 | Bahía de Cádiz | 36,548 | +1,092.4% | 35,226 | 0.1% | Port |
| 20 | Santander | 6,588 | +30.1% | 6,588 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Motril | 3,176 | −94.2% | 3,176 | 0.0% | Port |
| 22 | Sevilla | 1,067 | −25.7% | 1,067 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Ceuta | 830 | −8.4% | 830 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Baleares | 88 | — | 88 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Every year, in its statistical yearbook, Puertos del Estado publishes the tonnes loaded at Spanish ports for each country and the tonnes unloaded from it, authority by authority. This page covers China. These are tonnes of cargo crossing the quay, including transhipped containers, not the value in euros of what Spain buys and sells, so they do not match customs figures, which are in the Foreign Trade section.
Context
Traffic with China is mostly containers: imported manufactured goods entering through Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras, ports that also tranship cargo to and from third countries. That is why port tonnes exceed what customs record as bilateral trade.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes do Spanish ports handle with China?
25.7 million tonnes in 2025, 13.9% more than in 2024.
Which Spanish port handles the most cargo with China?
Valencia, with 9.14 million tonnes in 2025, 35.6% of the total.
Which weighs more: cargo unloaded or cargo loaded?
Cargo unloaded: 19.4 million tonnes in 2025, 75.7% of the total, compared with 6.24 million tonnes loaded.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes one edition a year. Latest data available: 2025.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo by country, annual series or see the original source.