The global market for international trade is still grappling with instability due to various factors such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and rising inflation. Additionally, trade imbalances between different regions of the world further contribute to this complex situation. The recent data from Valenciaport's April Statistical Bulletin for the first four months of 2023 reflects these challenges.
During this period, there was an 11.94% decline in the volume of containers handled, amounting to 1,516,635 TEUs (standard 20-foot containers). However, there were positive trends observed in other areas, including an increase of 2.63% in liquid bulk traffic, a 3.94% rise in the number of ships, and a growth of 7.82% in passenger numbers.
The success of APV-sponsored initiatives to promote rail transport is evident, as there has been a notable increase in goods transported by train. In terms of tonnage, there was a 15% rise (141,389 tonnes), while container traffic experienced a 13.3% increase (8,744 TEUs).
The latest statistics from the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) also indicate sustained growth in the movement of automobiles at Valenciaport. From January to April, a total of 211,846 units were handled, representing a 6.47% increase compared to the same period last year. The automobile and parts sector specifically recorded impressive growth of 22.32%, reaching 703,461 units (+128,358).
Looking at specific sectors, the transportation of vehicles and related elements remains the dominant segment at Valenciaport. However, the fertilizer industry experienced significant growth, with 254,938 tonnes handled (+10.6%), followed by the energy sector, which saw a 3.45% increase, amounting to 1.6 million tonnes. The agricultural, livestock, and food sector retained the second-highest traffic volume at 2.8 million tonnes, while other goods (wood, paper, machinery, etc.) reached 2.5 million tonnes. The construction materials sector accumulated 1.9 million tonnes in the first four months of the year.
Passenger numbers also displayed positive growth, with a 7.82% increase in 2023 compared to the same period last year. In April alone, the number of passengers rose by 20.75% compared to April 2022. Regular line travel to the Balearic Islands and Algeria witnessed 191,261 travelers (+5.24%), while cruise passengers numbered 78,003 (+14.73%).
Uncertainty continues to plague international trade, reflected in Valenciaport's container traffic for April, which decreased by 17% compared to April 2022. Among the TEUs handled, 66,329 were loading containers, and 73,600 were unloading containers, with the remainder allocated to transshipment and empty containers. However, ro-ro traffic, which pertains to short sea ro-ro services, recorded a positive growth of 5.32%, transporting a total of 4,291,858 tonnes.
Considering the total TEUs managed by Valenciaport in the first four months of the year, full containers accounted for 1,159,138 units, with 285,359 for export and 266,924 for import, while the rest were transit containers. This represents an 11.94% decrease compared to the same period last year, totaling 1,516,635 containers moved. Similar trends have been observed in other European ports, with container transit in the port of Rotterdam falling by 11.6% and a 16.9% decline in the port of Hamburg during the first quarter of the year.
In April, a total of 6,341,672 tonnes were handled, reflecting a 13.88% decrease compared to April 2022. Over the accumulated four-month period, the overall traffic trend remained consistent, totaling 24.5 million tonnes, which signifies an 8.40% decline. However, there was growth in liquid bulks by 2.6% and non-containerized cargo by 3.1%.
In terms of trading partners, China remained Valenciaport's primary partner with 165,607 TEUs, followed by the USA with 116,052 TEUs and Turkey with 67,090 TEUs. Despite declines in the three aforementioned countries, there were notable increases in traffic from Mexico and Egypt, each experiencing a 22% growth, as well as India with 18.1% and Senegal with 17.6%.
Analyzing total traffic, Italy continued to be Valenciaport's leading trading partner, with 2,322,423 tonnes handled in the last month (-7.4%). China followed closely with 1,930,746 tonnes (-9.4%), and the USA with 1,914,952 tonnes (-37%). Nigeria witnessed significant growth at 45.28%, while Egypt recorded a growth of 31.20%.