Ceramics account for 32% of Castellón Port traffic

The ceramic sector is a fundamental pillar for the Port of Castellón; we feel, live, and experience firsthand the pulse of the sector, which accounts for practically one-third of our traffic movements. Therefore, any circumstance it faces also affects us directly.

This was stated by the President of the Port Authority of Castellón, Rubén Ibáñez, during his participation in the Cersaie International fair to show his support for the ceramic sector, strengthen relationships, and hold institutional meetings. In this context, he called for the unified support of all administrations to alleviate the current circumstances facing the cluster, "which is fundamental for the province and also very important for Spain."

The President of the Port Authority noted that the objective of our attendance at international reference events for the sector is to show our support, our connection with all ceramic companies in the province, and to make them feel and perceive us much closer, especially in a moment of uncertainty like the present, which can have a significant impact on the port.

Ibáñez emphasized that the Port of Castellón "is an industrial port, at the service of the ceramic sector, which is reflected in imports with the movement of solid bulk materials, but we are also working to be the main outlet for finished products."

In this regard, the head of PortCastelló indicated that to "gain weight and prominence in exports, we continue to work with many trade missions, trying to promote our advantages at destination and make known the benefits and possibilities of the Port of Castellón."

Regarding the balance of export-related traffic, Ibáñez stressed that "we are growing; we have already surpassed the barrier of 100,000 TEUs so far this year, a barrier we were close to reaching at the end of last year, and this year we have already exceeded it." He assured that "it is sustained, homogeneous, and correct growth, and we are on the right track."

The figures support this strategic alliance. Today, more than 32% of the total traffic of the Port of Castellón is directly linked to ceramics. "We are the gateway for their raw materials, and in fact, the import of solid bulk materials such as feldspar, kaolin, or clay has grown by 15% so far this year to meet the sector's demand," explained the head of PortCastelló.

Rubén Ibáñez explained that to grow as an export port for finished products, "we are focused on logistics efficiency and intermodal connectivity with the works of the railway access to the southern dock and the future intermodal station, in addition to having recently implemented versatile terminals to offer maximum operational agility for companies." He set 2028 as the operational start date, with the completion of works in 2027. "The station will be ready by early 2027; there is a connection part that Adif needs to complete, and then the signaling and railway safety tests, but I believe we are within reasonable deadlines."

"It is a large-scale project and a very interesting gateway to Europe from the Port of Castellón, so we are already dedicating efforts to commercialize the logistics platform," he added.

In this context, and on the occasion of Tecna 2026, the largest international exhibition of machinery and technology for surfaces and ceramics, the Port Authority of Castellón has organized an event tonight in Rimini with the port community, thus reaffirming its commitment to the ceramic sector and consolidating its strategic alliance with a key industry for the province of Castellón.