Tanger Med Port Authority (TMPA), the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) and the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX) organized, Wednesday March 6 in Casablanca, a round table to reflect on the strategies to be implemented implemented to strengthen the maritime connection between these two major Mediterranean ports. The details.
The ports of Tangier Med and Algeciras wish to strengthen their maritime connection to stimulate trade between Morocco and Spain. This is what emerges from one of the round table “The maritime connection between the port of Tangier Med and the port of Algeciras: a model for the integration of regional logistics chains”, organized Wednesday March 6 in Casablanca by Tangier Med Port Authority (TMPA), the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) and the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX). A meeting which recorded the participation of several Moroccan and Spanish experts in transport and the maritime and port logistics chain.
The two large port complexes in the Mediterranean had already signed a memorandum of understanding in 2019, to facilitate the transport of passengers and goods. “This agreement symbolized the desire of the two ports to consolidate their cooperation and improve their maritime logistics chains, to promote sustainable development in the face of the challenges of global maritime trade,” said Hassan Abkari, Managing Director of TMPA, adding that “the economic relations between Morocco and Spain, strengthened by this strategic relationship between the two ports, play a pivotal role in the development of Moroccan and Spanish port infrastructures.
“Transform the Strait of Gibraltar into a passage par excellence for regional trade flows”
Today, Tanger Med, the fourth most efficient container port in the world, according to the 2022 edition of the Global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), plans to consolidate this strategic partnership with its Iberian neighbor. “The port of Tanger Med has demonstrated its crucial role as a hotspot for trade, with remarkable performance in terms of container traffic and ship reception,” recalled Hassan Abkari.
According to the CEO of TMPA, the Strait of Gibraltar represents much more than a natural border, it is a bridge between two continents, a vital crossroads for global trade, a symbol of connection and cooperation. Hence the ambition of Tanger Med “to transform this strait into a passage par excellence for regional trade flows”.
Boosting growth and trade with the EU
Alongside the project to consolidate the partnership with Tanger Med, the port of Algeciras aims to strengthen its logistical competitiveness with other Spanish ports. “The port of Algeciras has released a significant public fund of 1.775 billion euros to strengthen its logistical competitiveness. The objective is to connect the port with a network of Spanish dry ports reaching as far as the Zaragoza region, 966 km from Algeciras,” said Gerardo Landaluce.
Obviously, the strengthening of this partnership is a boon for Moroccan exporters. This is also what the president of ASMEX, Hassan Sentissi, underlined, estimating that “the synergies between Tanger Med and Algeciras, main ports in the Mediterranean, are called upon to be strengthened for better regional integration in order to stimulate growth and trade with the European Union.
For the new Spanish ambassador to Morocco, Enrique Ojeda Vila, who was making his first official outing since his installation in Rabat in mid-February, the current context, marked by major difficulties noted in the supply chains, particularly exacerbated by the Russo-Ukrainian war, encourages the strengthening of the maritime connection between the two ports. “The ports of Tanger Med and Algeciras make it possible to create a bridge between Morocco and Spain. Operation Marhaba constitutes a successful model of maritime connectivity of these two ports,” he noted, while emphasizing the need to modernize port infrastructure to facilitate this partnership.
Recall that a total of 2.84 million passengers and 642,000 vehicles transited from June 15 to September 15, 2023 between Morocco and Spain, mainly between Tanger Med and the Spanish ports of Algeciras and Tarifa during the operation Marhaba, according to the Moroccan Ministry of Transport and Logistics. As of August 15, 2023 in particular, Tanger Med had already welcomed more than 450,000 passengers and more than 680,000 vehicles, an increase of 45% compared to the 2022 edition.
Dematerialization and digitalization of procedures
To achieve a true maritime connection, the two ports must meet several challenges, mainly the dematerialization and digitalization of procedures. “The smoother flow of port passages and the reduction of transit times should improve through the strengthening of dematerialization and the digitalization of procedures at the two ports,” indicated Hassan Sentissi.
Hicham Mellakh, president of the Logistics and Land Commission of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), agreed in the same direction, declaring that the two ports “must focus on digitalization, particularly through the integration of related technologies to artificial intelligence, by strengthening the skills of their employees, to simplify customs procedures and promote the integration of their logistics chains.
Finally, the two experts, like several of their counterparts, also emphasized the need, for Tanger Med and Algeciras, to develop solutions for decarbonizing maritime traffic, through the use of renewable energies. , to align with the standards of our export markets.
