Morocco’s Tanger-med port handles record 7 million containers in 2021

Tanger Med port in northern Morocco handled 7.17 million containers, up 24% compared to last year, maintaining its position as the biggest port in the Mediterranean region and Africa.

“This traffic results from the steady ramp-up of Tanger Med 2 port after the successive commissioning of the terminals TC4 in 2019 and TC3 in 2021,” the port authority said in a statement.

This performance consolidates the position of this major hub for global maritime alliances led respectively by Maersk Line, CMA CGM, and Hapag Lloyd.

The same port handled 101 million tons of goods, up 25% from last year, representing over half the overall tonnage that transited through Moroccan ports.

Some 407,459 trucks transited through the port 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 season and agro-industrial exports,” the port agency said.

The port is the main export platform for Morocco’s automotive industry.

Last year, Renault exported 278,651 vehicles, while PSA sold 100,030 cars from the same port.

However, only 587,320 passengers crossed Tanger Med Port in 2021, down by 14% from 2020 due to the restrictive measures relating to the pandemic.