The nation of Portugal has for centuries been a leader in international commerce. Before Columbus ever sailed, Portuguese navigators were rounding the southern cape of Africa, sailing on to India, and erasing many blank spaces on Europeans’ world maps. Though today the Portuguese have lost most of their once vast empire, they have not at all lost their important position in the global economy. Sitting on the westernmost edge of the European continent, Portugal is a main stop-over point for many air traffic routes and is in an ideal location for trans-Atlantic sea trade. It is also well-connected to its neighboring Iberian state Spain and, through them, to the rest of the European mainland.
Portugal has one of the most lucrative economies and highest standards of living in the world and boasts an incredibly efficient infrastructure system that was ranked by the Global Competitiveness Report as the second best in the world. Highly industrialized and experiencing intermittent periods of rapid growth since the 1970’s, Portugal and its two main metro centers (Lisbon and Porto) are the envy of many a less fortunate nation in Europe and around the world.
Shipping freight efficiently into, within, and out of the bounds of Portugal is facilitated by their seven major seaports, three major international airports, 2,800 km (1,700 mi) of railroad, and 69,000 km (43,000 mi) network of highways. The rail lines in particular are quite productive, in 2006 delivering nearly 10 million tons of freight. Besides the mainland infrastructure, it should also be mentioned that Portugal’s Atlantic island possessions (Madeira and Azores) have significant airports on their shores.
Since their joining the EU in the 1990’s, Portugal has built numerous new roads, though many of them are toll roads. The country’s leaders have plans for a new airport in the town of Alcochete near Lisbon which would replace the present Lisbon Portela Airport, but this plan has been temporarily halted due to the economic downturn. Knowing the Portuguese, they will soon be up and building it when the project becomes again practical.
If you are shipping goods into or out of Portugal, we would like you to be aware of our expertise in arranging fast, low-cost, safe, reliable cargo and container routes involving that nation. Contact us today, and we can immediately get started in doing the math, communications, and foot work necessary to put together for you the best possible overall plan to meet your Portugal freight shipping needs.
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