Traffic with the Netherlands · 2025
14 million tonnes
Unloaded from the Netherlands
7.44 million tonnes
Loaded for the Netherlands
6.59 million tonnes
Rank among countries of origin and destination
8th
What the data say · 2025
Spanish ports handled 14 million tonnes of cargo with the Netherlands in 2025, 10.8% more than in 2024. By volume it ranks 8th among the 211 countries and territories with traffic, with 3.2% of the tonnes exchanged with other countries.
Of that total, 7.44 million tonnes were unloaded from that country (1.9% more than in 2024) and 6.59 million tonnes were loaded for it (22.8% more than in 2024). Unloading accounts for 53% of the traffic and loading for 47%.
In 2025, 27 port authorities recorded traffic with the Netherlands.
2025 is the year with the most traffic in the whole series, which starts in 1962.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 2.31 million tonnes in 2025 (8.4% less than in 2024). It is followed by Bilbao (2.09 million) and Cartagena (1.59 million). Together, the three account for 42.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Cartagena (+87.5%), Ferrol-San Cibrao (+80.6%) and Vilagarcía (+70.0%); the steepest falls by Castellón (−21.4%), Sevilla (−15.1%) and Barcelona (−12.6%). 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, 814,209 tonnes, +13.5%), Tarragona (5th, 792,452 tonnes, +1.7%), Valencia (6th, 758,095 tonnes, −10.1%), Pasaia (7th, 750,552 tonnes, +14.7%), Barcelona (8th, 697,706 tonnes, −12.6%), Las Palmas (9th, 537,332 tonnes, +0.5%) and Gijón (10th, 482,827 tonnes, +11.3%).
At the bottom of the table are Baleares (13,996 tonnes), Alicante (13,600 tonnes) and Ceuta (6,550 tonnes), out of a total of 27 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 54.2% of the total and 11 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 17 port authorities further down share the remaining 22.9%. 18 of the 27 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 16 of them by double digits, and 9 fell.
Between 2006 and 2025 the figure went from 7.34 M to 14 M, an increase of 91.1% over 19 years (+3.5% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2006 (7.34 M).
Top 10 · Traffic with the Netherlands by port authority · 2025
Traffic with the Netherlands, year by year
Full table · 27 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 2.31 M | −8.4% | 1.84 M | 16.5% | Port |
| 2 | Bilbao | 2.09 M | +16.4% | 768,963 | 14.9% | Port |
| 3 | Cartagena | 1.59 M | +87.5% | 132,948 | 11.4% | Port |
| 4 | Huelva | 814,209 | +13.5% | 640,129 | 5.8% | Port |
| 5 | Tarragona | 792,452 | +1.7% | 324,652 | 5.6% | Port |
| 6 | Valencia | 758,095 | −10.1% | 496,878 | 5.4% | Port |
| 7 | Pasaia | 750,552 | +14.7% | 741,498 | 5.3% | Port |
| 8 | Barcelona | 697,706 | −12.6% | 391,705 | 5.0% | Port |
| 9 | Las Palmas | 537,332 | +0.5% | 457,157 | 3.8% | Port |
| 10 | Gijón | 482,827 | +11.3% | 111,956 | 3.4% | Port |
| 11 | A Coruña | 463,861 | −0.6% | 82,733 | 3.3% | Port |
| 12 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 448,410 | +80.6% | 108,264 | 3.2% | Port |
| 13 | Vilagarcía | 400,632 | +70.0% | 312,654 | 2.9% | Port |
| 14 | Santander | 377,915 | +31.3% | 306,487 | 2.7% | Port |
| 15 | Castellón | 277,799 | −21.4% | 241,166 | 2.0% | Port |
| 16 | Avilés | 262,926 | +23.7% | 25,682 | 1.9% | Port |
| 17 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 229,703 | +15.8% | 167,717 | 1.6% | Port |
| 18 | Sevilla | 171,599 | −15.1% | 85,295 | 1.2% | Port |
| 19 | Bahía de Cádiz | 142,297 | +62.5% | 85,900 | 1.0% | Port |
| 20 | Motril | 136,496 | +10.3% | 6,323 | 1.0% | Port |
| 21 | Almería | 104,000 | +53.9% | 98 | 0.7% | Port |
| 22 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 70,878 | −21.7% | 46,981 | 0.5% | Port |
| 23 | Vigo | 68,080 | +23.4% | 44,907 | 0.5% | Port |
| 24 | Málaga | 19,710 | −75.5% | 4,277 | 0.1% | Port |
| 25 | Baleares | 13,996 | −35.2% | 13,424 | 0.1% | Port |
| 26 | Alicante | 13,600 | +69.7% | 0 | 0.1% | Port |
| 27 | Ceuta | 6,550 | +1,872.9% | 6,511 | 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 the Netherlands. 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
Rotterdam is northern Europe’s main hub port: traffic with the Netherlands includes short-sea containers, petroleum and chemical products moving between refineries and storage terminals, and bulk cargo redistributed from there.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes do Spanish ports handle with the Netherlands?
14 million tonnes in 2025, 10.8% more than in 2024.
Which Spanish port handles the most cargo with the Netherlands?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 2.31 million tonnes in 2025, 16.5% of the total.
Which weighs more: cargo unloaded or cargo loaded?
Cargo unloaded: 7.44 million tonnes in 2025, 53% of the total, compared with 6.59 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.