New pilotage tariffs at the Port of Gijón: what shipowners and shipping agents will pay in 2026

Key data

Companies operating at the Port of Gijón face a new cost scenario. The Resolution of 17 March 2026 from the Port Authority of Gijón, published on 13 April 2026, updates the maximum tariffs applicable to the port pilotage service. Any vessel entering, leaving or performing internal movements in the port is subject to this service, and therefore to these tariffs.

Pilotage is not optional: it is a mandatory technical service provided by specialized pilots to assist vessels during their maneuvers. Its cost is a fixed item in the expenses of each port call, and any variation in maximum tariffs has a direct impact on the bottom line of shipowners and shipping agents.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution modifies the current technical specifications for the provision of the port pilotage service at the Port of Gijón. Specifically, it establishes the new maximum tariff limits that service providers may charge vessels for the following types of maneuvers:

• Port entry: vessel access maneuver from external waters to its berthing position.
• Port departure: unberthing maneuver and departure toward external waters.
• Internal movements: vessel displacement within the port area between different berthing points or anchorages.

The published tariffs are maximum tariffs, not fixed prices. This means that service providers may apply amounts equal to or lower than those established, but cannot exceed them. The regulation thus establishes a protection ceiling for operators, although it does not eliminate the possibility of negotiation within that margin.

The resolution does not specify the exact amounts of each tariff in its publication. To consult the exact updated numerical values, it is necessary to access the full text available in the BOE with reference BOE-A-2026-8193.

Economic and operational impact

Pilotage is one of the port call costs that most directly impacts a port's competitiveness. When maximum tariffs rise, operators see each port call become more expensive, which can influence the choice of port of call for regular lines or discretionary traffic.

For affected companies, the impact translates into three specific areas:

• Port call costs: each entry, exit or internal movement of the vessel at the Port of Gijón carries the associated pilotage cost. If maximum tariffs increase, the cost per port call increases proportionally to the number of maneuvers performed.
• Budget planning: shipowners and shipping agents with service contracts or annual budgets must update their projections of port costs in Gijón to reflect the new tariff ceilings.
• Port competitiveness: the tariff update affects the positioning of the Port of Gijón against other ports in the Cantabrian region and northern peninsula. A tariff increase can redirect traffic toward alternative ports if the cost differential is significant.

The measure also has implications for logistics operators managing cargo with origin or destination in Asturias and using the Port of Gijón as an entry or exit point. The increase in pilotage costs is ultimately passed on to the total cost of the logistics chain.

Who does it affect?

This tariff update directly affects all companies and professionals operating or contracting services at the Port of Gijón:

• Shipowners: companies operating vessels with regular or sporadic calls at the Port of Gijón, for both cargo and passenger traffic.
• Shipping agents: agents representing vessels in port and managing port call procedures and costs on behalf of the owner or shipowner.
• Logistics operators: companies coordinating cargo transport with transit through the Port of Gijón and assuming or passing on port costs in their service tariffs.
• Vessel owners: owners of vessels calling at Gijón, regardless of whether they manage the port call directly or through a shipping agent.
• CFOs and operations directors of any of the above companies, responsible for planning port costs.

Practical example

A logistics operator managing industrial material imports through the Port of Gijón with a frequency of four monthly port calls (entry and exit per call, that is, eight pilotage maneuvers per month) must review its port cost budget for 2026.

If the new maximum tariffs established in the updated specifications represent an increase compared to previous ones, that increase is multiplied by each contracted maneuver. In a scenario of eight monthly maneuvers, any variation in the unit tariff has a relevant cumulative impact throughout the year.

To correctly assess the impact, the operations manager or CFO must: obtain the exact amounts from the updated specifications available in the BOE, compare tariff by tariff with the previous specifications, and recalculate the annual budget for port call costs in Gijón with the new values. If the increase is significant, it may be time to negotiate with the service provider within the margin allowed by the maximum tariff.

What should companies do now?

1. Download the full text of the resolution from the BOE (reference BOE-A-2026-8193) and locate the exact amounts of the new maximum tariffs by type of maneuver.
2. Compare the new tariffs with the previous ones from the technical specifications in force to date, to quantify the increase or variation per maneuver.
3. Recalculate the annual budget for port call costs at the Port of Gijón by applying the new tariffs to the volume of maneuvers expected for 2026.
4. Review contracts and agreements with shipping agents to verify whether pilotage costs are included in agreed tariffs or are charged separately, and update conditions if necessary.
5. Evaluate the impact on logistics competitiveness by comparing updated costs in Gijón with those of alternative ports in the northern peninsula, especially if managing traffic with port of call flexibility.
6. Confirm the exact entry into force date with the Port Authority of Gijón, as the published resolution does not specify this information, and plan the budget transition accordingly.