The port of Málaga launches a new direct maritime line with Morocco

The port is there and so are the transport companies, so all that's missing is a shipping company willing to connect the two shores. Málaga has ... on several recent occasions had a direct line with Tangier, in Morocco, which has not fully taken off and sustained over time. However, the Port Authority and road transporters are convinced that this service is feasible and economically viable.

Therefore, representatives from this institution and executives from the main logistics operators on both shores met yesterday in Málaga, aiming to join forces and convince shipping companies to invest in this route. "The Port and the road transporters from Morocco and Spain are joining forces to demonstrate the suitability of Málaga's location at the crossroads of the Strait, for traffic between Europe and Africa," states Carlos Rubio, president of the Port Authority.

"We have had an impressive response, representatives from all the main companies from Morocco and Spain attended, and now we are going together to negotiate with the shipping companies, so they see the great interest in a connection with Tangier," he adds. At this point, the port leader highlights the improvements that have been made in Customs, the Border Inspection Post (Pif), and the Export Inspection, Surveillance, and Regulation Service (Soivre).

Forecasts indicate that traffic will reach 800,000 trucks on board ships between Morocco and Spain by 2030

"We are working very aligned, the transit in the port right now is exemplary and with a high level of satisfaction from importers, we provide the best service, especially for perishable products," which require faster processing.

Increasing traffic

The so-called Two Shores Meeting was organized by the Port Authority of Málaga and the Moroccan Authorized Economic Operators Club (OEA), with the aim of strengthening exchanges and cooperation opportunities between Moroccan and Spanish logistics and port actors. The initiative is part of a strategy to anticipate future flows of goods between the Alawite Kingdom and the EU, for which Spain is a natural gateway. The program also included a visit to the port and the Border Control Point.

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The main international organizations (IMF, World Bank, among others) project for Morocco a sustained growth of between 3.5% and 4% annually in GDP until 2030, driven especially by strategic sectors such as agri-food and automotive. In this context, Spain is Morocco's leading trading partner in terms of bilateral exchange volume within the EU.

As a result, in the Strait of Gibraltar in 2024, 425,000 trucks were counted in the roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic, and forecasts point to an average annual growth of 10%, which would allow reaching 800,000 trucks in 2030. Given this trend, the Port of Málaga is committed to creating a direct bridge with Morocco, for which it is necessary to reactivate a regular Málaga-Tangier Med line, allowing for the rapid interconnection of goods between both cities.