Algeciras consolidates its position as a pillar of Spanish external competitiveness at the ICEX 2025 Forum

In the workshop «Whoever changes wins: new factors of competitiveness«Landaluce emphasized the importance of maritime transport and port efficiency in the current global scenario.

Landaluce shared a table with prominent figures of the foreign trade, including Rocío Chico, counselor at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Poland; Nuria Lacaci, secretary general of the Shippers' Association; and Miguel Ángel Molina, deputy general manager of GMV. The debate was moderated by Jorge Alvar, general manager of Digital Transformation, Information, and Strategy at ICEX.

During his presentation, the president of the APBA recalled that the 80% of world trade moves by sea, which positions ports as indispensable tools for the competitiveness of Spanish companies in the field of exports and imports. In addition to their traditional function, ports have added in recent years the "resilience" as one of its key virtues. "Today more than ever, ports are strategic assets within the current context of economic and geopolitical uncertainty," Landaluce stated, emphasizing the importance of efficiency in a volatile environment.

In this sense, Landaluce highlighted the high efficiency of the Port of Algeciras, recognized by the World Bank as the most efficient in Europe. As proof of this capacity, he mentioned the choice of Algeciras by Gemini, the new alliance between Maersk and Hapag Lloyd, as one of its seven hubs This decision is based on the port's ability to meet demanding reliability standards, which include a 90% commitment to meeting cargo arrival times, and its outstanding productivity.