Vehicle ro-ro exports continue to recover at Barcelona while containerised imports double

While ro-ro vehicle imports through the port of Barcelona declined by 38% in calendar year 2024, the port authority – Port de Barcelona – reported that cars imported in containers more than doubled to over 58,000 vehicles. 

Those containers being processed alongside imported ro-ro volumes at the vehicle terminal, where they are unpacked and processed for onward distribution.

The port of Barcelona also managed 79,000 vehicles that were being distributed to and from Germany, Austria and France by land routes. The port of Barcelona is the only location in Spain that can handle international gauge trains and most of the international trains calling there are transporting vehicles for land distribution rather than maritime, though the port is looking for opportunities to attract import/export volumes by rail for ocean services.

What is also of note is that vehicle imports from China actually declined by 20%, from more than 126,000 in 2023 to 99,930 in CY2024. The trend of decline in vehicle imports from China has not been down to the imposition of EU tariffs on imports according to the port authority. They began to decline from December 2023 and the port authority relates the change to the disruption in traffic through the Red Sea caused by attacks on vessels by Houthi fighters.

Regarding the EU tariffs in place since October the port authority in Barcelona said that the impact on imports will depend on the commercial policies taken by different OEMs.

“On the operational side in Barcelona we believe we are offering and excellent distribution platform which shall gain volume on the short term,” said a spokesperson for the port. “We look forward to a normalised situation on the Red Sea to assess our real forecast.”

Vehicle exports continue to recover 
Vehicle ro-ro exports, which account for the majority of vehicle handled by Barcelona, continued a post-Covid upward trend, gaining by 4% in 2024 to 429,000 units. There was a +37% increase in vehicles shipping to Mexico (25,822) helped by Seat using the port for exports there, as well as a +7.6% increase to the UK (76,697). Exports also increased to Greece, Morocco, Slovenia and Turkey. VW Group exports, including Seat and Cupra models, account for the biggest volume share per carmaker, led by its exports to the Mediterranean, followed by Renault and Mazda. 

The biggest project for the port in 2024 was the launch of a tender for a third vehicle ro-ro terminal, which promises to bring more volumes to the port. Barcelona is also working on a 105,000 sq.m vehicle terminal with direct rail access, which is due to go into operation in 2027. NYK Group submitted a project during the tender process, which the port authority is now analysing and a final decision will be made on where the construction should being in the second half of 2025.

“The terminal, located next to the current automotive area in the port of Barcelona, will occupy an area of 10 hectares, and it’s compulsory to build a vertical silo that duplicates the surface,” said the port’s spokesperson. “According to the current conditions, it will share the berthing line with the other two vehicle terminals and will have direct access to the Príncep d’Espanya rail terminal, which is ready to operate national and international services.”

The port authority is also looking at a project to improve truck access and turnaround times at the terminals, supported by digital technology, along with further development to increase rail capacity in the shunting terminal at Can Tunis.

Further details on  Barcelona port’s vehicle throughput in 2024 and its plans going forward will be available in the forthcoming review of activity at the top-performing European vehicle handling ports, published in the spring edition of Automotive Logistics magazine in March