The State's general interest ports moved 85,955,203 tons of goods during the first two months of 2026, representing a decrease of 1.3% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data published by Ports of the State. The general economic uncertainty and the sporadic terminal closures caused by adverse weather episodes recorded in the early weeks of the year have affected the overall port traffic.
General cargo, which includes both containerized and conventional cargo, accumulated over 42 million tons in the January-February period. Within this category, containerized cargo totaled 28.7 million tons and conventional cargo 13.2 million. However, the monthly data shows a trend towards moderation of the decline: in February, general cargo recorded a decrease of 4%, compared to the 8.1% drop recorded in January, indicating a gradual recovery of this segment.
Container traffic measured in TEUs experienced a practically negligible decline of 0.3%, reaching 2.8 million equivalent units in the first two months of the year. The containment of this drop is significant in a context marked by geopolitical instability arising from the conflict in the Middle East and disruptions in international maritime trade routes.
Liquid bulk was the segment with the best performance, recording a growth of 3.6% in the cumulative from January, reaching 28.8 million tons. This positive evolution was driven by the energy group, with significant increases in gasoline, diesel, and natural gas movements, in a context of higher fuel supply demand.
Solid bulk, on the other hand, recorded a decline of 1.9%, with a total accumulated of 12.7 million tons. Ro-ro traffic, which reflects the movement of trucks and vehicles on rolling platforms, decreased by 5.3% to 11.1 million tons.
The number of merchant ships that called at Spanish ports during the first two months of the year decreased by 8%, to 21,756 units, although the decline in gross tonnage was more moderate, at 1.8%, indicating that the average size of the ships operating in Spanish ports continues to increase.
Passenger traffic remained stable compared to the same period in 2025, with over 4.4 million accumulated movements by February, with no significant year-on-year variation.
The data corresponding to the first two months of the year reflects the start of the exercise conditioned by external factors to the port system itself, both meteorological and geopolitical in nature, although the containment of the decline in TEUs and the good performance of liquid bulk indicate that Spanish ports maintain high levels of activity in a complex international environment.