The transfer by Maersk of its MECL service—linking India, Pakistan, and the Middle East to the U.S. East Coast—from Algeciras to Tanger Med is a major blow for the Spanish port. The service used to move around 750,000 containers per year through the Andalusian hub, strengthening its role as a key gateway in the western Mediterranean.
This shift comes after the Spanish government’s decision in November 2024 to deny docking rights in Algeciras to two U.S. vessels—the Maersk Denver and the Maersk Seletar—on suspicion that they were transporting weapons to Israel. The move followed complaints filed by Izquierda Unida and Sumar, although the shipping company insisted the vessels complied with international regulations and carried no military equipment, according to El Debate.
The loss of this route occurs against a backdrop of repeated tensions between Madrid and Washington. Following the denial of entry to the U.S. ships in Algeciras, Spain also refused to purchase U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets and instead awarded contracts to Huawei, despite warnings from the United States and the European Union.
European environmental rules may also have influenced Maersk’s decision to shift operations to Tanger Med. Since January 2024, the EU’s ETS regulation has required ships operating in European ports to pay for their CO₂ emissions. While the company maintains the move was aimed at saving time, experts point out that Tanger Med—outside ETS regulations and equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure—represents formidable competition for Algeciras.
It is worth noting that on June 17, 2025, Morocco and the United States signed a Declaration of Principles integrating the Moroccan port into the Container Security Initiative (CSI), alongside ports such as Marseille and Gioia Tauro. “These ports will join the prestigious network of Mediterranean ports already designated under CSI, including Algeciras (Spain),” stated the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. Tanger Med’s inclusion in the network further strengthens ties between Rabat and Washington, while boosting the port’s freight traffic and consolidating its position in the Strait of Gibraltar.
