Malaga port hits major milestone with record arrival of more than 100,000 new cars in 2025
The docksides in the city have been too small on several occasions this year to cope with the flood of cars destined for dealerships across Spain and Portugal
The Port of Malaga has achieved a new record in the import of new cars arriving directly from the manufacturers and destined for dealerships across Spain and Portugal. Last Friday witnessed the arrival of the 100,000th car for 2025, a Dacia model. This milestone was celebrated with the participation of Port Authority officials and representatives from the shipping and logistics companies involved in these operations.
This news reflects the sustained growth in new vehicle traffic, including those that arrive by ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) as well as by container ships. It highlights the leading role played by the port's facilities in the all-important automotive sector. The year is expected to close, with numbers for the final ten days still pending, some 16% up on 2024's total.
Quays 7 and 9 have handled the majority of this activity throughout the year, serving various shipping lines and connecting with international markets, including those close to home (Morocco) and far, far away (China). "This reinforces the port's role as a strategic hub for the import, export and transit of automobiles", stated a Port Authority spokesperson.
Three Chinese vehicle brands - BYD, Omoda and Jaecoo - have now joined the manufacturers already using Malaga, primarily Renault-Dacia and Ford
Furthermore, the Port Authority stresses that the positive results achieved have been possible thanks to the involvement and coordination of all stakeholders in the logistics chain, including port operators, shipping agents, shipping lines, freight forwarders, carriers and port services. Also, thanks to the confidence shown by the manufacturers, who continue to place their trust in Malaga for their shipments via the Iberian peninsula.
Following this record figure, the Port of Malaga has set its sights on consolidating and further boosting the growth of new car imports traffic in the coming years, reinforcing its position as a leading logistics platform.
Cars are filling the quays
The truth is that Malaga is experiencing a boom in this segment of the logistics market and the growth of these operations in recent months is such that the spaces set aside for them, mainly Quay 9 and the surrounding area, have become too small and cannot cope.
To alleviate this situation and allow these goods to continue arriving, the Port Authority has temporarily authorised operators to park newly-arrived cars on quays 4 and 5. At the same time, both the Port Authority and the companies are searching for storage sites with sufficient capacity and good access from the coast to the inland part of the province.
In addition to the car brands already operating via Malaga, primarily Renault-Dacia from its factory in Tangiers (Morocco) to Spain and Ford, three Chinese brands have recently been added: BYD, Omoda and Jaecoo. So, it is hardly surprising that, by September, the number of vehicle arrivals had almost equalled the total for all of 2024: 83,725 compared to 86,466, with the whole of the final quarter still to go.
This great jump has two main reasons, according to sources in the port logistics sector: firstly, the sharp rise in demand for new cars from individuals and businesses in Spain and Portugal, which is leading dealerships to place more orders with the factory. Secondly, in the case of Malaga, the main operator, Noatum, has taken over the management of shipping routes for the Chinese automobile manufacturer Chery, which owns the Omoda and Jaecoo brands, as well as already managing those for BYD. The cars remain there for a maximum of four to five days before being delivered to dealerships and end buyers.
