In the 19th century, Bayonne became an industrial port with the establishment of the Forges de l’Adour in 1881 –1883, one of the first examples of “steelworks by water” in France. There are vast lands around the mouth of the Adour with major outlets offered by the rail network, especially the Midi and Orléans – the coastal factory received all different types of raw materials from the outside (Welsh and English coal, iron ore from Bilbao); the ships left for Great Britain loaded with transoms/sleepers and mine posts from the Landes forest.
A spectacular revival came about for the port that enjoyed a regular increase in its traffic.

1875 : 129,217 metric tons
1890 : 508,908 metric tons
1913 : 1,000,000 metric tons

From 1887 the State entrusted the port of Bayonne concession to the Chamber of Commerce.