Port of Barcelona and Shanghai Sign Sister Ports Agreement
The Port of Barcelona received an institutional and business delegation from Shanghai on Tuesday, as part of the close collaborative relationship between the two port infrastructures. According to the Port of Barcelona, a new strategic cooperation agreement was signed during the visit.
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The agreement was signed by Jose Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona; Xiao Hui, general director of the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission (SMTC); and Yang ZhiYong, vice president of Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG). Jaume Duch, Regional Minister for European Union and Foreign Action of the Generalitat of Catalonia, was also present.
The pact officially establishes a sister ports relationship between Shanghai and Barcelona. Its aim is to boost cooperation in areas including the digitalisation and security of port operations, the development of green ports and alternative fuels, intermodality, and the fostering of sustainable maritime corridors between the Far East and the Mediterranean.
The relationship between the two ports has intensified in recent years. In late July 2025, a preliminary agreement was signed between both port authorities. That led to a technical visit in September 2025 by a delegation from Shanghai led by Wang Haijian, Vice President and Director of Operations of SIPG, to advance the development of a Green Shipping and Digital Corridor between the two ports. That meeting included working sessions on commercial and logistical exchanges between China and Europe, as well as a visit to the Ebro-Chery facilities in the Free Zone.
During the current visit, the delegation toured the Autoterminal vehicle terminal, continuing the work underway to launch the Green Shipping and Digital Corridor being set up between both ports.
The new institutional visit and the signing of the agreement consolidate the Port of Barcelona’s position as a Euro-Mediterranean logistics hub and strengthen its links with one of the world’s main ports and economic centres.
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