Bilbao Cargo Rises 6.3% Through September, Led by Petronor Restart

FTZ News: The port handled 25.3 million tons of cargo in the first nine months of 2026, up 6.3% from a year earlier, according to figures released Oct. 22 by the state ports authority. Among Spanish ports that move more than 20 million tons a year, that was the fastest growth rate.

Most of the increase came from liquid bulk. Crude oil, chemicals and refined products reached 16.3 million tons through September, up 14.9%. That category now makes up about two-thirds of the port’s total volume. The gain is tied to the Petronor refinery, which sits next to the port and was offline for much of 2025 for technical repairs.

Containers have not followed the same path. Through July the port moved 250,997 TEU, down 1.1%. Rolling cargo — trucks and trailers on ferries — fell 18.4% over the same period. Dry bulk dropped 11.5% in the first half of the year.

Iván Jiménez, head of the Bilbao Port Authority, said in July that the worst of the slowdown was over. Storms had cut traffic 9.5% in January, but volumes improved from February. He has said he expects the full year to finish stronger, especially in containers.

Bilbao closed 2025 at 32.1 million tons, down 7.1%, largely because of the refinery outage. Crude oil imports through June this year were up 52%, adding nearly 1.8 million tons. Other Spanish ports also posted gains through September: Tarragona 5.9%, Cartagena 5.6%, Huelva 5.0%. Nationally, Spain’s ports grew 1.2% over the nine months. Liquid bulk nationwide rose 3.6%; containerized cargo was down 0.8%.

Container volumes, which port officials have pointed to as a longer-term growth area, have not risen so far this year./.