Spanish ports need to cut rates and boost competitiveness

He said Spanish ports needed to boost their competitiveness through “a reduction in rates and through an improvement in logistics infrastructure”.

He singled out the Port of Castellón for praise, whose results were 65% up on those of the previous year, with traffic increasing by 7.5% and operating costs decreasing by 5%. The port has also been able to grow exports over the past two years by 20%.

These results compared with a 3.8% drop in traffic at Spanish ports as a whole, although turnover, at €1.03bn, was similar to 2012.

He reiterated the need to reduce port costs in 2014, using subsidies incorporated in the State Commercial Debt law, and added that talks with dock workers were absolutely crucial, too.

“To handle a container in a Spanish port costs €90, whereas in other countries of the world it cost between €35 and €50,” he said.

For Castellón, he stressed the need for better access and the need to incorporate the Mediterranean Corridor into the European logistics network.