The Port of Barcelona, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission (SMTC) and Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) have signed a strategic cooperation agreement formally establishing a “sister ports” relationship between Barcelona and Shanghai.
The agreement was signed by José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona; Xiao Hui, general director of the SMTC; and Yang ZhiYong, vice president of SIPG, during a visit by a Shanghai institutional and business delegation to Barcelona.
Under the agreement, the parties will cooperate on the digitalisation and security of port operations, the development of green ports and alternative fuels, intermodal transport and the creation of sustainable maritime corridors linking the Far East and the Mediterranean.
The deal builds on growing ties between the two ports. In July 2025, the parties signed a preliminary agreement that was followed by a technical visit to Barcelona by a Shanghai delegation in September 2025 to advance plans for a Green Shipping and Digital Corridor between the two ports.
During the latest visit, the delegation toured the Autoterminal vehicle terminal as work continues on the corridor project.
The Port of Barcelona said the agreement strengthens its links with one of the world’s largest port and economic centres while reinforcing its role as a Euro-Mediterranean logistics hub.
