Mohammedia — Morocco’s port system expanded steadily by 11.2% in the first nine months of 2025, with total cargo handled reaching 196.8 million tons, up from 177 million a year earlier, according to port authorities. The performance underscores ports’ role as a key engine of national trade and logistics, consolidating the country’s position on major Atlantic and Mediterranean routes by the end of September 2025.
Growth was led by transshipment, which increased 15.7% to 97.9 million tons. The segment entrenched its role as the dominant pillar of activity, accounting for close to half of overall port flows (49.7%). Domestic traffic also contributed, totaling 98.9 million tons, up 7.1% year-on-year, reflecting resilient internal supply and distribution chains.
Traffic composition and sectoral dynamics
By composition, imports represented 30.1% of total traffic, exports 15.9%, cabotage 3.6%, and bunkering 0.7%. In volumes, imports rose to 59.3 million tons (up 4.8%), while exports climbed to 31.3 million tons (up 7.6%). Coastal trade showed the sharpest pace of expansion, jumping 30% to 7 million tons, whereas bunker fuel edged down by 0.8%, indicating a slight moderation in marine fuel supply operations.
Containerized cargo maintained its momentum, advancing 9.8% to 9.4 million TEUs. The increase was supported by ongoing port infrastructure development, particularly at Tangier Med, which has continued to attract liner services and reinforce Morocco’s competitiveness across regional and intercontinental supply chains.
Energy and resource shipments posted mixed but largely positive trends. Imported hydrocarbons rose 5.6% to 10.3 million tons, while phosphates and associated products increased 2.8% to 25.8 million tons. Coal imports registered robust growth of 16%, aligned with domestic energy demand patterns. Together, these categories signaled sustained throughput in strategically important commodity streams.
On the road–sea interface, international road transport units improved by 7.2%, pointing to steady roll-on/roll-off connectivity and cross-border trade. At the same time, inflows of grains fell 8.2%, and imports of new vehicles declined 5.9%, highlighting selective soft spots in consumer and industrial demand and the sensitivity of specific cargoes to market conditions.
Passenger activity remained supportive of the broader maritime ecosystem. Port passenger volumes reached 4.7 million, up 3.7% from the previous year. The cruise segment was particularly buoyant, climbing 68.2% to 213,101 passengers, a sign of continued recovery in maritime tourism and the attractiveness of Moroccan ports to international cruise itineraries.
Not all segments advanced. Coastal and artisanal fisheries fell by 13% to 814,743 tons, one of the few declines within an otherwise resilient maritime sector. Even so, the expanding base of transshipment and container flows has solidified Morocco’s role as a critical trade gateway connecting Africa, Europe, and Atlantic shipping lanes, despite fluctuations in certain commodity and industrial niches.
