SIMIC

STATISTICS from the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) show that the trend of contraction in Valenciaport's freight traffic continues.

PAV figures show that in June there was a 12.61 per cent drop in the number of containers handled and a 7.17 per cent drop in the volume of tonnes, according to London's Port Technology.



The evolution of traffic in the first six months of the year shows a 7.96 per cent drop in the volume of tonnes handled from the Valencian precinct and an 11.2 per cent drop in the number of TEU.



The figures reflected in the Port Authority of Valencia statistics are consistent with those detected by other major European ports, all of which have become 'pulsometers and thermometers' of the level of strengths and weaknesses of an economic moment influenced by geopolitical factors external to port activity.



The pattern of port activity reflects a tendency that is also represented by other organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia, which recently warned of a 24.6 per cent decline in the issuance of certificates of origin for exports (first six months of 2023).



Rail transport continues to grow and during the first six months of this year a total of 116,439 TEU entered and left the Valencian docks by rail, reflecting a 9 per cent year-on-year increase. In addition, 1.6 million tonnes were moved, a year-on-year increase of 12.41 per cent.



In this regard, the steps advocated by Valenciaport to enhance rail travel, which are part of the PAV's decarbonization plan, are yielding positive results, with this mode of transport already accounting for 7.62 per cent of overall transit, a 0.95 per cent increase from 6.67 per cent in 2022.