Santander debuts as the gateway for Suzuki vehicles from the UK

Santander port facilities received the first batch of vehicles of the Japanese Suzuki brand manufactured in England (United Kingdom). This first batch, which was assembled at the company’s factory in Burnaston, in the center of the country, arrived this week from the port of Portbury (south) on board the “Ottoson” car carrier owned by the Norwegian shipping company UECC (United European). Car Carrier), in operations coordinated by Groupe CAT. This movement of new Suzuki vehicles increases the number of manufacturers using Santander Port as an entry and exit door, reaching more than 20 automobile companies, as detailed by the Port Authority.

Suzuki’s flow into Santander is expected to be between 3,000 and 4,000 units per year

This publication has attempted to contact the logistics operator and Norwegian Shipping Company’s division in Spain, but has not currently received details on how many vehicles make up the first delivery, nor when a second delivery will take place. The frequency of the maritime service with the UK has not been disclosed, nor has the capacity of the vessels or the calls made by the UECC service. What is known is the goal of reaching “between 3,000 and 4,000 units per year, and even growth in the coming years” with this movement, as admitted by CAT Director of the Port of Santander, Antonio Torralbo.

The logistics operator was responsible for receiving the vehicles at its port facilities for allocation at the Pre-Delivery Center (PDI). For his part, Santander Port Authority President Cesar Diaz said, “We are very satisfied with the trust that Suzuki has placed” in the port. “Once again, the professionalism of our port community has been proven to act as a driving factor for this type of traffic,” Diaz said.

Car transportation at the Port of Cantabria increased by 29.7% of the amount accumulated until October, allowing the position to rise to 358,227 units, according to figures from the country’s ports. Furthermore, the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC) awarded the Santander Pier “the most important distinction existing in Spain in terms of vehicular traffic,” the port authority’s president said. In the latest annual report on vehicle logistics prepared by ANVAC, Santander showed the fourth best volume of vehicle transport operations, with a total of 287,715 units. 66.9% of it was allocated to export traffic, according to the Manufacturers’ Association. In terms of performance, it was the highest-rated port ever, receiving a score of 4.4 out of 5 by car brands.