The container terminal that concentrates 42% of the wealth generated by the Port, pending changes in its capital

BarcelonaThe Port of Barcelona has two container terminals, one of which, BEST, accounts for 42% of the wealth generated by the entire infrastructure (measured by GVA, gross value added). This is the main conclusion of the study commissioned by the Hong Kong-based company that manages it, Hutchison Ports, while awaiting a decision from the competition authorities on the agreement for the world's leading shipping group, MSC, to control 50% of the terminal.

Currently, the company operating the terminal is Terminal Catalunya SAU (Tercat), and Hutchison Ports has exclusive control. Hutchison agreed to transfer 50% of Tercat to MSC and, at the end of June, the Port of Barcelona authorized the operation, pending the opinion of the competition authorities. However, in December, the European Commission opened an investigation to study whether it jeopardizes competition rules: the Community executive wants to ensure that other shipping companies will not suffer a price increase and a decrease in the quality of services provided.

Hutchison must request an extension from the Port of Barcelona in the coming days to make the operation effective, which still does not have the green light from the authorities. The matter will have to go through the infrastructure's board of directors, which will meet on July 22, a step pending the operation being unblocked. Goods from companies such as Fluidra, Roca, Seat, Mango, Mercadona, Grifols, Molins, or Nestlé pass through the terminal.

20,000 jobs

According to the KPMG study commissioned by Hutchison, the VAB of the BEST terminal in absolute terms exceeds 2,195 million euros in 2025. The company's general director, Guillermo Belcastro, has assured that it is "the most efficient terminal" of those the company has in 53 ports worldwide. The number of movements per hour made by each crane is 50% higher than the world average, an advantage of "great value" for shipping companies, Belcastro defended. He warned that, in the port sector, "you either play in the Champions League or in the Fourth Regional, there is nothing in between," and highlighted the impact that BEST has for importers and exporters in Catalonia.

Although it became Hutchison's first semi-automated terminal in the world, Belcastro has assured that "not only have jobs not been lost," but rather "what has been generated is great value." In 2025, it generated more than 20,500 direct and indirect jobs.

The terminal will have required a total investment of 876 million euros, 32.1% more than initially planned. Of these, about a hundred are currently being executed to finish the last six blocks of the terminal, which will have a total of 40. They will become operational in the second half of next year. Likewise, the terminal has 13 cranes, incorporates two new ones this Monday, and has three more committed, which will arrive in 2028. The last five cranes alone have represented an investment of more than 60 million euros.