The port of Santander exceeded during the past year the figure of five million tons of merchandise. Exactly, it reached a total traffic of 5,127,133 tons, including supplies and fishing, which meant an increase of 2.3 % compared to 2010.
This increase was mainly motivated by the rise that was experienced in the traffic of new cars, with an increase of 11.3 %, reaching 315,000 units, as well as by solid bulk, which represent 60 % of the total traffic in the Puerto de Santander, and during 2011 more than 6 %grew. Within the solid bulk, it is worth highlighting the coal, which experienced a positive variation of 44 %, exceeding the barrier of the 400,000 tons, to the sugar that reached 57 % growth and sodium carbonate, which reached 386,000 with a percentage of 21%increase. The rising behaviors of sodium sulfate, almost 15%, sepiolite, more than 10, cereals, 10.9%, and fertilizers with more than 7%would also be reviewable.
Within the general merchandise, which represents a third of the total traffic of the port of Santander, we must highlight the rise of vehicle traffic and their pieces, 428,000 tons, the wire and the steel products that were above 20% of increase In its traffic, touching the 300,000 tons, and the slight climb of paper, wood and machinery, with figures that are around 2% increase. In the increase in vehicle traffic, the arrival of new brands, such as Ford and Volvo, to the Santander docks and the spectacular growth of others such as Renault or Volkswagen, which have reached increases of up to 25%.
The passenger traffic figure remains stable, at the same levels of past exercises, with 211,000 users, as well as Ro-Ro traffic, closely linked to the previous one, since much of it is done in the ferry lines with England, which generates a traffic of 1.2 million tons. Likewise, cruise traffic remains in the same parameters of previous years, with a slight increase in the number of cruise members, which exceeded the figure of 7,500.
For months, the best of the year was March, with a traffic of more than 590,000 tons, and the total number of ships that arrived at the docks of the port of Santander was 1,400.