Traffic with Mexico · 2025
10.7 million tonnes
Unloaded from Mexico
8.74 million tonnes
Loaded for Mexico
1.97 million tonnes
Rank among countries of origin and destination
12th
What the data say · 2025
Spanish ports handled 10.7 million tonnes of cargo with Mexico in 2025, 11.4% less than in 2024. By volume it ranks 12th among the 211 countries and territories with traffic, with 2.5% of the tonnes exchanged with other countries.
Of that total, 8.74 million tonnes were unloaded from that country (8.8% less than in 2024) and 1.97 million tonnes were loaded for it (21.4% less than in 2024). Unloading accounts for 81.6% of the traffic and loading for 18.4%.
In 2025, 20 port authorities recorded traffic with Mexico.
The high point of the series, which starts in 1962, is 1992, with 14.1 million tonnes: 2025 was 23.8% below it.
Cartagena ranks first among port authorities with 3.11 million tonnes in 2025 (15% less than in 2024). It is followed by Bilbao (2.36 million) and A Coruña (1.58 million). Together, the three account for 65.9% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Tarragona (+212.3%), Gijón (+67.1%) and Avilés (+26.4%); the steepest falls by Bahía de Algeciras (−63.8%), Huelva (−34.7%) and A Coruña (−24.9%). 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 Valencia (4th, 995,376 tonnes, −14.2%), Barcelona (5th, 917,477 tonnes, +7.1%), Huelva (6th, 443,474 tonnes, −34.7%), Tarragona (7th, 358,575 tonnes, +212.3%), Bahía de Algeciras (8th, 292,609 tonnes, −63.8%), Gijón (9th, 222,154 tonnes, +67.1%) and Avilés (10th, 213,971 tonnes, +26.4%).
At the bottom of the table are Almería (224 tonnes), Ferrol-San Cibrao (134 tonnes) and Baleares (123 tonnes), out of a total of 20 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 83.7% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 10 port authorities further down share the remaining 2%. 10 of the 20 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 8 of them by double digits, and 10 fell.
Between 2006 and 2025 the figure went from 9.87 M to 10.7 M, an increase of 8.5% over 19 years (+0.4% a year on average). The best year was 2019 (13 M) and the worst 2009 (7.18 M).
Top 10 · Traffic with Mexico by port authority · 2025
Traffic with Mexico, year by year
Full table · 20 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cartagena | 3.11 M | −15.0% | 3.03 M | 29.1% | Port |
| 2 | Bilbao | 2.36 M | +3.4% | 2.24 M | 22.0% | Port |
| 3 | A Coruña | 1.58 M | −24.9% | 1.55 M | 14.8% | Port |
| 4 | Valencia | 995,376 | −14.2% | 349,002 | 9.3% | Port |
| 5 | Barcelona | 917,477 | +7.1% | 290,087 | 8.6% | Port |
| 6 | Huelva | 443,474 | −34.7% | 388,360 | 4.1% | Port |
| 7 | Tarragona | 358,575 | +212.3% | 321,990 | 3.3% | Port |
| 8 | Bahía de Algeciras | 292,609 | −63.8% | 58,441 | 2.7% | Port |
| 9 | Gijón | 222,154 | +67.1% | 192,980 | 2.1% | Port |
| 10 | Avilés | 213,971 | +26.4% | 207,968 | 2.0% | Port |
| 11 | Las Palmas | 55,023 | +1,411.6% | 42,303 | 0.5% | Port |
| 12 | Vigo | 49,057 | −21.2% | 15,248 | 0.5% | Port |
| 13 | Málaga | 43,055 | +222.6% | 18,298 | 0.4% | Port |
| 14 | Santander | 27,925 | +21,216.8% | 27,475 | 0.3% | Port |
| 15 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 17,382 | +26.6% | 49 | 0.2% | Port |
| 16 | Pasaia | 12,366 | −42.7% | 0 | 0.1% | Port |
| 17 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 6,435 | +1,352.6% | 5,964 | 0.1% | Port |
| 18 | Almería | 224 | −47.0% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 19 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 134 | −93.3% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 20 | Baleares | 123 | −64.3% | 123 | 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 Mexico. 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
Mexico is a regular source of crude oil for Spanish refineries, which explains the weight of unloading. In the other direction, containerised general cargo travels to ports on the Gulf of Mexico.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes do Spanish ports handle with Mexico?
10.7 million tonnes in 2025, 11.4% less than in 2024.
Which Spanish port handles the most cargo with Mexico?
Cartagena, with 3.11 million tonnes in 2025, 29.1% of the total.
Which weighs more: cargo unloaded or cargo loaded?
Cargo unloaded: 8.74 million tonnes in 2025, 81.6% of the total, compared with 1.97 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.