Morocco: Tanger Med, 2021, the year of all records

The activity of Tanger Med, the leading Moroccan platform for import / export flows, broke all records in 2021. A total of 7,173,870 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent) containers were processed in the port complex in 2021, growing by 24% compared to 2020. This traffic results from the continuous increase in power of the Tanger Med 2 port after the successive start-up of the TC4 terminals in 2019 then TC3 in 2021.

This result confirms Tanger Med’s leadership in the Mediterranean as well as in Africa, and consolidates the position of this major hub for the major global shipping companies led respectively by Maersk Line, CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd. Another record, 101,054,713 tonnes of goods were handled in the Tanger Med port complex, up 25% compared to 2020.

The tonnage thus processed represents more than 50% of the overall tonnage handled by all the ports of Morocco. In addition, the port complex handled 407,459 TIR trucks in 2021, up 14% compared to 2020. This traffic was mainly driven by the resumption of industrial exports as well as by the good performance of the agricultural campaign and exports. agro-industries. New vehicle traffic also recorded a notable increase.

429,509 new vehicles were handled at the two vehicle terminals of the Tanger Med port in 2021, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. Traffic is mainly the result of an increase in exports, 250,532 for Renault and 103,030 for Groupe PSA.

Liquid bulk traffic grew by 9% compared to 2020. It recorded a total traffic of 8,744,900 tonnes of hydrocarbons handled. The same goes for solid bulk traffic which recorded a total of 342,804 tonnes handled, up 13% compared to 2020, driven by the traffic of steel coils, wind blades and grain.

Maritime traffic is also increasing.

10,902 ships called at the Tanger Med port in 2021, up 12% compared to 2020. During the past year, the port complex hosted nearly 929 mega-ships (size greater than 290 meters). The only exception to these good figures is passenger traffic, which is still affected by the health crisis. 587,320 passengers passed through the Tanger Med port in 2021, down 14% compared to 2020.

All of these performances achieved during the year 2021 confirm the position of the port complex as a major strategic hub, as well as its key role as a privileged logistics platform in the service of national logistics competitiveness.

The Tanger Med port complex consists of:

– the port of Tangier Med 1, which includes two container terminals, a rail terminal, an oil and gas terminal, a general cargo terminal, and a new vehicle terminal

– the Tanger Med 2 port, which brings together two container terminals; passenger and ro-ro port with border access and inspection areas, passenger and TIR embarkation docks, regulatory areas, and the ferry terminal; a free logistics zone; of a Tanger Med business center.