Between January and March, 994,855 tonnes of natural gas have been mobilised compared to 224,933 tonnes in 2021, a 342.3% increase. 7 out of every 10 tonnes of LNG comes from the United States
In year-on-year terms, Valenciaport is close to 5.5 million containers and 84 million tonnes
In the year-to-date (January-March), total traffic amounts to 19.7 million tonnes, with a decrease of 4.4% and containers reached 1,244,952 with a decrease of 9.75%
Between January and March, 145,807 automobile units were handled, an increase of 5.28%. Passenger traffic, both liner and cruise, continues to rise and grew by 120%
The United States is the country that has mobilised the most freight traffic with 2,378,008 tonnes in the first quarter of the year, 39.39% more than in the same period of 2021
March has been conditioned by the storms that closed maritime traffic for several days and the stoppage of the transport sector that have caused TEU activity to fall by 25% this month compared to 2021
The world crisis in the energy sector generated by the conflict of the invasion of Ukraine is marking the beginning of the year 2022, as reflected in the arrival of natural gas at the docks of the Port of Sagunto. In the first quarter of this year, a total of 994,855 tonnes of natural gas have already arrived at the Sagunto site, compared to 223,843 tonnes in 2021, an increase of 342.3%. The United States is the main importer of this energy source with 70% of the imports that have unloaded at the Sagunto regasification plant, followed by countries such as Oman and Nigeria. In the month of March alone, according to the Statistical Bulletin of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV), the arrival of natural gas has exceeded 300,000 tonnes, much more than the entire quarter of 2021.
If we compare the year-on-year trend (April 2021-March 2022 compared to the same period last year), the overall figures for Valenciaport stand at 83.94 million tonnes handled, with a growth of 2.35% and a total of 5,469,970 containers handled, a figure similar to the previous period. These figures once again show the dynamism of full containers dedicated to exports, with an increase of 6.77% to 1,053,809 TEUs, and full containers for unloading (imports), which stood at 832,823 containers with an increase of 14.44%. On the other hand, full transit containers fell by 7% and empty containers by 1%.
Regarding goods vehicles, in inter-annual terms 501,013 units were handled, 1.65% less than the previous year, while passengers grew by 100% to reach 714,445, of which 555,040 correspond to regular lines and 159,416 to cruise passengers (after a period marked by Covid-19 where this activity was paralysed).
First quarter data
A month, March, which has been conditioned by the storm that València has suffered and which forced the port to close the maritime traffic for several days, a situation to which has been added the stoppage by the transport sector and the congestion in some of the main ports of the Asian giant. All this has meant that in the accumulated year (January-March), 19.7 million tonnes have been reached, 4.4% less and 1,244,952 TEUs (standard 20-foot container), with a decrease of 9.75%. With respect to the last month analysed by the Bulletin, the decline was 15.89% in total freight traffic and 25.38% in container traffic compared to March 2021.
As for ro-ro traffic (system by which a vessel transports cargo on wheels), 2,998,455 tonnes have been handled in the first three months of the year, a similar figure to the same period in 2021; while cars in the goods regime have stood at 145,807 units, up 5.28%. On the other hand, passenger traffic amounted to 144,534 people (including regular lines and cruise passengers), with a total growth of 120%.
Dynamism of the United States and Italy
The United States and China have reaffirmed themselves as Valenciaport’s main trading partners in these first months of 2022, although with different behaviours. With the North American country, 2,378,008 tonnes of goods have been moved, which represents an increase of 39.39%. It should be noted that imports from the North American country in this period have increased by 480%. The number of containers handled with the United States was 121,760, a decrease of 1.64%. Trade with the Asian giant amounted to 1,529,214 tonnes (-15%) and 132,691 containers (-18.41%). Italy is another very dynamic market in the first quarter of the year, both in terms of total traffic with 1,852,719 tonnes (+3%) and 34,572 containers (+14%).
By geographical areas, the main container market is the Mediterranean-Black Sea with 226,570 and a drop of 4.24%; followed by the Far East with 180,544 (-15.69%); and West Africa with 80,525 TEUs (-5.79%). The most dynamic areas between January and March were Atlantic Europe with a growth of 62.7%, South and East Africa (+23.53) and Australia (+21.62%).
About goods traffic by sector, vehicles and transport elements with 2,664,630 tonnes continues to be the industry that moves the most goods through Valenciaport with a drop of 4.36% compared to the first three months of 2021. This was followed by the agri-food industry, which moved a total of 2,101,827 tonnes, with a decrease of 4.23%. The construction materials sector, with 1,866,646 tonnes and a decrease of 3.97%, is in third place.