By Jite Eriabie
The Port of Barcelona recorded a 26 percent rise in total traffic during 2017, marking its best results yet in the main traffic indicators.
The port, which took a quantum leap to become the fastest-growing European port, said that it handled over 61 million tonnes for the first time ever in 2017.
The number was mainly driven by a surge of 32.3 percent in container traffic, as the port moved 2.97 million TEUs during the year.
A very significant factor in this increase were transhipment containers, which surged by 137 percent. Containerized import cargo stood at 561,103 TEUs, increasing by 8.3 percent, while export cargo reached 705,204 TEUs, up 2.6 percent.
In 2017 liquid bulk transport also hit a record high at the port, with a total of 14.4 million tonnes of
goods transported marking an increase of 27% year on year. Natural gas transport grew by 64 percent, gasoline was up by 30 percent, while chemicals increased by 23 percent.
With 4.4 million tonnes of goods handled, the dry bulk sector recorded a slight rise of around 1 percent.
In 2017, the Port of Barcelona managed to cut its long-term debt contracted with the European Investment Bank (EIB). It reduced its debt by 8%, which now stands at EUR 281.1 million.
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