Year to date · January–August 2026
5.71 million tonnes
August 2026 only
728,578 tonnes
Full year 2025
6.84 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
1.6%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 5.71 million tonnes of oils and fats in the year to August 2026, 20.2% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 728,578 tonnes, 48% more than in August 2025.
By type of cargo, 64.1% travelled as liquid bulk and 35.9% as general cargo. The item accounts for 1.6% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in oils and fats came to 6.84 million tonnes, 1.1% more than in 2024: 4.0 million tonnes unloaded and 2.84 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 84.8% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 25 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Huelva ranks first among port authorities with 1.29 million tonnes in 2025 (7.2% more than in 2024). It is followed by Barcelona (1.18 million) and Bahía de Algeciras (1.03 million). Together, the three account for 51.1% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Las Palmas (+36.4%), Valencia (+24.5%) and Bahía de Algeciras (+16.0%); the steepest falls by Castellón (−22.1%), Cartagena (−20.2%) and Sevilla (−14.2%). 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 Valencia (4th, 1.01 million, +24.5%), Cartagena (5th, 456,266 tonnes, −20.2%), Bilbao (6th, 441,072 tonnes, +2.1%), Sevilla (7th, 376,736 tonnes, −14.2%), Castellón (8th, 167,889 tonnes, −22.1%), Vilagarcía (9th, 137,706 tonnes, +0.4%) and Málaga (10th, 132,667 tonnes, +9.9%).
At the bottom of the table are Alicante (3,300 tonnes), Ceuta (1,177 tonnes) and Melilla (1,048 tonnes), out of a total of 25 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 72.5% of the total and 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 15 port authorities further down share the remaining 9.1%. 12 of the 25 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 6 of them by double digits, and 13 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 6 are above the same month of 2025 and 2 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is up 23.1% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in August (up 48%); the highest point in the series was March, at 798,848, and the lowest January, at 610,710.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 4.04 M to 6.84 M, an increase of 69.3% over 14 years (+3.8% a year on average). The best year was 2020 (7.01 M) and the worst 2011 (4.04 M).
Top 10 · Oils and fats by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · oils and fats
Full table · 25 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huelva | 1.29 M | +7.2% | 694,389 | 18.9% | Port |
| 2 | Barcelona | 1.18 M | −9.0% | 781,246 | 17.2% | Port |
| 3 | Bahía de Algeciras | 1.03 M | +16.0% | 440,376 | 15.0% | Port |
| 4 | Valencia | 1.01 M | +24.5% | 364,403 | 14.7% | Port |
| 5 | Cartagena | 456,266 | −20.2% | 346,160 | 6.7% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 441,072 | +2.1% | 262,873 | 6.5% | Port |
| 7 | Sevilla | 376,736 | −14.2% | 341,861 | 5.5% | Port |
| 8 | Castellón | 167,889 | −22.1% | 164,953 | 2.5% | Port |
| 9 | Vilagarcía | 137,706 | +0.4% | 129,397 | 2.0% | Port |
| 10 | Málaga | 132,667 | +9.9% | 35,925 | 1.9% | Port |
| 11 | Las Palmas | 127,330 | +36.4% | 79,032 | 1.9% | Port |
| 12 | Bahía de Cádiz | 90,232 | −6.6% | 45,346 | 1.3% | Port |
| 13 | A Coruña | 62,719 | +8.7% | 62,719 | 0.9% | Port |
| 14 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 61,535 | −46.9% | 58,070 | 0.9% | Port |
| 15 | Santander | 58,276 | −13.1% | 30,409 | 0.9% | Port |
| 16 | Almería | 52,973 | +13.5% | 51,141 | 0.8% | Port |
| 17 | Vigo | 52,310 | +13.6% | 22,394 | 0.8% | Port |
| 18 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 45,577 | −0.7% | 32,081 | 0.7% | Port |
| 19 | Tarragona | 29,326 | −34.2% | 28,472 | 0.4% | Port |
| 20 | Baleares | 14,185 | +5.6% | 8,557 | 0.2% | Port |
| 21 | Motril | 14,060 | −4.6% | 13,933 | 0.2% | Port |
| 22 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 8,266 | −8.0% | 1,733 | 0.1% | Port |
| 23 | Alicante | 3,300 | +12.6% | 196 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Ceuta | 1,177 | −3.8% | 1,025 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Melilla | 1,048 | −23.1% | 963 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Vegetable oils (olive, sunflower, palm, soya) and fats, as liquid bulk or packed 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
Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, exported both bottled and in bulk, and it imports palm, sunflower and soya oil for the food industry and for biofuel production. The item therefore combines container exports with unloading at liquid bulk terminals.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of oils and fats have Spanish ports handled this year?
5.71 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 20.2% more than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most oils and fats?
Huelva, with 1.29 million tonnes in 2025, 18.9% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
By type of cargo, 64.1% travelled as liquid bulk and 35.9% as general cargo 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.