Under the title "Moroccan Tanger Port: Why Does It Cause Concern for Spain?", Sky News reported that the "Tanger Med" port in northern Morocco is increasingly solidifying its position on the map of strategic ports in the region, which is raising concerns for Spanish ports that share the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Madrid's worry appeared in a report published by the Spanish newspaper "ABC," which explicitly stated that Tanger Med poses a serious threat to Spanish shipping ports, attributing this to its "unstoppable growth trajectory."
The newspaper quoted Gerardo Landalus, head of the Port Authority of the Bay of Ceuta, calling on Spain and the European Union to support and protect Spanish re-shipping ports amid fierce competition from neighboring countries’ ports. He pointed out that the Tanger port is a "state matter" for Morocco, similar to Portugal's Sines port.
Previously, the Spanish newspapers "El Pais" and "El Confidencial" highlighted the fierce competition that the Moroccan port poses to its northern neighbor ports, especially the Port of Ceuta, discussing the implications for trade opportunities and international transport in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Tanger Med port, which spans over 200 hectares, is strategically located across from the Strait of Gibraltar and accounts for 95% of Morocco's trade exchanges with the world.
**A Massive Project**
Tanger Med is considered one of the largest economic projects initiated by Moroccan King Mohammed VI. Morocco aims to attract investments through it, betting on its geographical location overlooking Europe, the tax and duty privileges offered by free zones, along with low labor costs.
In February 2003, the Moroccan monarch launched this massive port project, stating at the time: "Today we are, with God's help, giving the launch of one of the largest economic projects in the history of our country. It is the new port of Tanger Med, which we consider the cornerstone of a huge port, logistics, industrial, commercial, and tourist complex."
After years of launching and expanding the project, the port achieved amazing and rapid results evidenced by its annual activity report which shows consistent growth. Thanks to this, the Moroccan port ranked 35th out of 120 global ports in container management and processing in 2019, according to the "Lloyd's List" ranking, one of the most important global references for classifying ports.
**Moroccan-Spanish Competition**
With its infrastructure and capacity, Tanger Med became the leading port facility in the Mediterranean for handling containers and cargo in 2020, surpassing the Spanish ports of Valencia and Ceuta. The activity in Tanger Med reached 5.7 million containers, while Valencia handled 5.4 million and Ceuta processed 5.1 million.
The bulk cargo traffic exceeded 303 tons in 2020, reflecting an 18% increase compared to 2019, thanks particularly to the transport of steel coils, wind turbine blades, and grains. Tanger Med's infrastructure surpasses that of neighboring Spanish ports, especially in terms of rail network connectivity.
Economic professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat, Omar Kettani, stated that Spain had dominated commercial activity in the Mediterranean via the Port of Ceuta until the establishment of Tanger Port as a serious competitor. He adds in an interview with Sky News Arabia that "the main challenge lies in maintaining the growth pace achieved by the port, through keeping up with technological and logistical developments, and continuously enhancing its competitive capacities to attract more investors."
He emphasizes the importance of Morocco diversifying its trade partnerships to strengthen its international standing, and the necessity of utilizing the UK's exit from the EU to develop trade exchanges and transform Tanger Med into a gateway for commerce between continents.
**Continental and International Crossroads**
Tanger Med port has commercial partnerships with over 180 global ports, according to official data. The Moroccan port is an industrial hub for over 1,100 global companies operating in various fields, such as automotive, aerospace, textiles, logistics, and services, with transactions exceeding 5 billion euros.
Port Director Rashid El Hoari affirmed that West African countries represent the largest market for the continent's largest port, with a 40% share. Kettani points out that Tanger Med "possesses many specifications that qualify it to play a pivotal role in global trade, notably its strategic location between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, at the gateway to the Strait of Gibraltar, and its capacity to accommodate the largest container ships, making it a hub for exchanges along international trade networks between Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa."
He adds that "the existence of such a massive port in Morocco has contributed to encouraging foreign investors to establish their investments in the kingdom, especially in the northern regions, which have hosted important projects such as automobile manufacturing."
Kettani continues, "Tanger port has played a crucial role in logistics and industrial aspects, along with creating a logistics platform for exporting cars manufactured in Morocco." The economic expert noted that Morocco is looking forward to building more massive ports, including the Atlantic Dakhla Port in the south of the country and the Nador West Med Port, with the aim of enhancing its role as a continental and international economic intersection.
