Malaga port hits major milestone with record arrival of more than 100,000 new cars in 2025

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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

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Tuesday, 23 December 2025, 17:13

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.