BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Spanish ports are experiencing increased pressure due to surge in container ship traffic destined for Europe and the eastern Mediterranean as the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea continues to force vessels to avoid the Suez Canal and navigate around the Cape of Good Hope.
General goods traffic in Spanish ports went up by an average of 7.7 percent in the first half of this year compared to 2023, according to Spain's Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. The figure was much higher in certain ports.
In the January-June period of this year, container traffic went up 16 percent in Valencia and general traffic in Barcelona surged by 23 percent, with transshipments jumping by 45 percent, according to the latest figures from the Port of Barcelona authority.
"The Port of Barcelona has seen exponential traffic increase, particularly in transshipments, because ships bound for the eastern Mediterranean stop here and then smaller vessels are used to handle the final leg of their journeys," Carla Salvado, deputy general manager of Commercial and Marketing at the Port of Barcelona, told Xinhua on Tuesday.
As ports like Barcelona increasingly serve as platforms for redistributing goods to Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, they have had to re-organize their operations, including working at night and utilizing cruise ship terminals to accommodate additional container traffic.
"The port is ready. We have the most productive terminals in Europe, which means in terms of infrastructure, we are prepared. We also have sufficient depot facilities both inside and outside the port," said Salvado.
To avoid a repeat of the congestion experienced earlier this year, the Port of Barcelona plans to gradually open seven new berths at its Hutchison Ports Best container terminal before the end of the year, the Port of Barcelona authority said.
"We're prioritizing solutions to our customers. We're doing all we can to help resolve the logistical problems they are experiencing in the eastern Mediterranean," added the port authority.
President of the Port of Barcelona, Lluis Salvado, said that given the conflict in the Red Sea is most likely to extend into 2025, the port is expected to end this year with record container traffic approaching 4 million TEUs (an average container is equivalent to 2 TEUs).
The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has been launching drone and missile attacks against ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November last year to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
