The port system of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is based on an unavoidable national exchange, with Spain established as the backbone of its operations in 2024. The flow to the peninsula reached 6.87 million metric tons in unloads and 3.89 million in cargo, representing the backbone of a turnover where the Port Authority retains 51% of the business volume. However, the strategic value of the port is defined by its ability to attract cargo from global nodes, where Brazil stands out as the main international supplier with 217,987 tons, closely followed by Sweden, which contributes 206,819 tons to the entry statistics. The diversification of the origins of goods reflects the Atlantic vocation of the Tenerife port, with the United Kingdom (111,232 tm), Nigeria (96,581 tm), and India (94,190 tm) completing the top five importers. This amalgamation of origins, which includes the Netherlands (88,542 tm), France (84,451 tm), and China (59,816 tm), demonstrates a port capable of managing complex supply chains, from European manufactures to raw materials from emerging Asian and African markets. Morocco and Germany, with volumes exceeding 50,000 tons each, further form a robust and balanced import ecosystem. Regarding its export vocation, the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife redirects its commercial strategy primarily toward Portugal, which heads the list with 88,492 tons shipped. The corridor to the Gulf of Guinea has proven to be the true engine of expansion, with Mauritania (70,784 tm), Ivory Coast (70,720 tm), and Benin (63,658 tm) absorbing a critical part of the regional shipments. This export network extends to Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, and Gambia, countries that together articulate a consolidated exit platform for the products that transit through the Tenerife docks. The operational pressure resulting from these flows demands high-precision technical management, especially in assets like Granadilla and Los Cristianos, which operate at 95% and 90% of their capacity. This level of occupancy, along with activity in San Sebastián de la Gomera and La Estaca —which reach 95% and 85% respectively— necessitates constant optimization of port resources. With 38% of the total business volume concentrated in the Tenerife capital, the Port Authority faces the challenge of maintaining efficiency in the transit of these tons, ensuring the smooth flow of a trade that no longer relies solely on the connection with the Spanish mainland.
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