Maritime Competition: Spanish Ports Threatened by the Maghreb
Due to the intense competition with…
Due to the intense competition with Moroccan ports, Spanish ports “face the risk of losing 50% of their international container transshipment activity,” which translates to over four million TEUs in the medium term, according to some experts.
Data from the State Ports indicate that Spanish ports have already lost one million TEUs in international transshipment between 2018 and August 2023, including approximately 950,000 TEUs from the ports of Valencia, Algeciras, and Barcelona. This marks a 10% decrease from the 9.26 million TEUs transshipped in 2018, as reported by El Mercantil, which highlights that this activity now accounts for 51% of the total container traffic in Spain.
Experts attribute the decline in this activity to several factors, including “the shift of transshipments in the western Mediterranean from European ports to those in North Africa.” According to a study by consulting firm ALG, “the unused capacity for container traffic in the western Mediterranean is expected to rise from the current 11.6 million TEUs to 28.5 million TEUs by 2035.” Experts note a capacity of 27.3 million TEUs between Morocco (two million at the Danish APM terminal in Tangier Med and 12 million in Nador), Algeria (8.5 million TEUs at Djen Djen and Cherchell), and Tunisia (4.8 million TEUs at Enfidha).
“The future of international traffic volumes in European ports of the western Mediterranean is threatened due to the strong competition from terminals in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia,” experts assert, estimating “a loss of 50% of transshipment activity in Spain,” which amounts to 4.4 million TEUs out of the 8.8 million handled in 2022. One expert claims that Tangier Med is “a clear testament” to the attractiveness of North African ports. Opened in July 2007, the Moroccan port concluded 2022 with a traffic of 7.6 million TEUs. Today, it has two terminals with a capacity of 6.5 million TEUs.
North African ports, particularly Tangier Med, “are more competitive in terms of pricing because their labor costs are lower,” explains one expert, adding that “the estimated difference between a stop at a Spanish transshipment port or at Tangier Med is 10 million euros per ship per year.” Furthermore, industries are increasingly relocating to Morocco and Turkey, notes another expert, citing Inditex as an example, which, after the COVID-19 health crisis, “is seeking suppliers even in Galicia, as well as in Portugal, Morocco, and Turkey.”
Due to the intense competition with…
Due to the intense competition with Moroccan ports, Spanish ports “face the risk of losing 50% of their international container transshipment activity,” which translates to over four million TEUs in the medium term, according to some experts.
Maritime in the Maghreb
Data from the State Ports indicate that Spanish ports have already lost one million TEUs in international transshipment between 2018 and August 2023, including approximately 950,000 TEUs from the ports of Valencia, Algeciras, and Barcelona. This marks a 10% decrease from the 9.26 million TEUs transshipped in 2018, as reported by El Mercantil, which highlights that this activity now accounts for 51% of the total container traffic in Spain.
Experts attribute the decline in this activity to several factors, including “the shift of transshipments in the western Mediterranean from European ports to those in North Africa.” According to a study by consulting firm ALG, “the unused capacity for container traffic in the western Mediterranean is expected to rise from the current 11.6 million TEUs to 28.5 million TEUs by 2035.” Experts note a capacity of 27.3 million TEUs between Morocco (two million at the Danish APM terminal in Tangier Med and 12 million in Nador), Algeria (8.5 million TEUs at Djen Djen and Cherchell), and Tunisia (4.8 million TEUs at Enfidha).
According to experts, the decline in…
“The future of international traffic volumes in European ports of the western Mediterranean is threatened due to the strong competition from terminals in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia,” experts assert, estimating “a loss of 50% of transshipment activity in Spain,” which amounts to 4.4 million TEUs out of the 8.8 million handled in 2022. One expert claims that Tangier Med is “a clear testament” to the attractiveness of North African ports. Opened in July 2007, the Moroccan port concluded 2022 with a traffic of 7.6 million TEUs. Today, it has two terminals with a capacity of 6.5 million TEUs.
North African ports, particularly Tangier Med, “are more competitive in terms of pricing because their labor costs are lower,” explains one expert, adding that “the estimated difference between a stop at a Spanish transshipment port or at Tangier Med is 10 million euros per ship per year.” Furthermore, industries are increasingly relocating to Morocco and Turkey, notes another expert, citing Inditex as an example, which, after the COVID-19 health crisis, “is seeking suppliers even in Galicia, as well as in Portugal, Morocco, and Turkey.”
