• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
The Port Authority of Castellón adds a new strategic alliance to boost its maritime connectivity and consolidate its role as a leading logistics hub in the Mediterranean. The Italian shipping company Messina Line officially launched its new regular West Med Line service, which calls directly at the Port of Castellón. This addition provides the Spanish terminal with a second regular connection with Algeria, in addition to the existing one operated by Akkon, and also opens a direct route with Libya.
This new regular line is also for the import and export of goods, which makes it very competitive as it will allow exporting companies in the province, such as the ceramic sector, to send their products directly to Algeria from PortCastelló and, in turn, allows these firms to receive raw materials.
In this regard, the president of the Port Authority of Castellón, Rubén Ibáñez, pointed out that "an inbound and outbound cargo service guarantees high vessel occupancy in both directions, which ensures economic sustainability, continuity, and regularity of the line over time."
With regular departures every 10 days, the route directly connects the Port of Castellón with strategic points in France, Italy, Libya, and Algeria. Messina Line, which has its own fleet of 21 vessels and operates more than 41,000 containers, thus strengthens PortCastelló's operational offering in general cargo and container traffic.
The incorporation of this new line coincides with the consolidation of the extraordinary growth that PortCastelló has experienced in its commercial exchanges with Algeria after the commercial unblocking. In the accumulated figures for 2025, total traffic moved with the North African country increased from 70,800 tons to more than 303,000 tons, representing an exponential increase of 329%.
Likewise, in the container segment, one of the priority traffics within PortCastelló's strategic plan, the volume managed with Algeria grew 63%, from 3,800 TEU to more than 6,100. These figures support the international trade mission policy actively developed by the Port Authority to recover and boost key maritime lines for the provincial productive fabric.
Ibáñez added that "the Algerian market was crucial for us and is once again showing spectacular dynamism. This is of vital importance for the port, but it is mainly for the economy and companies in our environment."
Precisely PortCastelló has promoted several trade missions to Algeria to strengthen ties and restore operations prior to the period of commercial restrictions. The objective has been to highlight the suitability of Castellón as a departure port for North Africa, especially for the supply of raw materials, frits, glazes, and machinery required by the Algerian processing industry.
"PortCastelló has a clear competitive advantage for our ceramic sector due to the proximity of our facilities, located just 10-15 minutes from the industries. Furthermore, both Algeria and we agree on the need to establish and consolidate regular lines," explained Ibáñez.
In addition to the favorable commercial situation, PortCastelló has implemented substantial competitive improvements in recent months. The recent framework agreement for stevedoring has allowed for a substantial reduction in operating costs, placing container movement in Castellón well below the cost of neighboring ports. This efficiency, coupled with the 40% bonus on container fees applied by the Port Authority, reinforces the port's attractiveness for large global shipping companies like Messina Line.
