The total volume of trade handled by Moroccan ports reached 116.4 million tonnes in the first half of 2024, marking a significant increase of 15.3% compared to 101 million tonnes during the same period in the previous year. This growth reflects a dynamic period for the country’s maritime commerce, according to a statement from the Ministry of Equipment and Water.
Domestic traffic contributed 60.8 million tonnes, up by 13%, while transshipment volumes soared to 55.6 million tonnes, representing a 17.8% rise from the first half of 2023. The transshipment activity dominated the overall traffic, accounting for 47.8% of the total, followed by imports at 32.2%, exports at 16.3%, and cabotage at 2.9%.
Imports saw a substantial increase, reaching 37.5 million tonnes, a rise of 15.9%, while exports grew by 13.2% to 18.9 million tonnes. However, cabotage traffic experienced a decline of 10.9%, totaling 3.4 million tonnes. The bunkering of hydrocarbons for ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar recorded a volume of 923,400 tonnes, up by 10.6%.
Strategic traffic categories handled by Moroccan ports also saw notable shifts in the first half of 2024. Container traffic rose to 5.6 million TEUs, a 16% increase, while imported hydrocarbons grew by 9.8% to 6.3 million tonnes. Grain imports surged by 26.2% to 5.4 million tonnes, and the traffic of phosphates and related products skyrocketed by 44.6% to 16.1 million tonnes. Additionally, international road transport saw a 3.6% increase, with 287,749 units handled, and the import of new cars increased by 8%, totaling 347,002 units. On the downside, coal traffic decreased by 8.4% to 4.9 million tonnes.
Passenger traffic through Moroccan ports reached 1.47 million by the end of June 2024, a 7% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. However, cruise activity witnessed a sharp decline of 23%, with only 96,450 cruise passengers recorded.
The volume of coastal and artisanal maritime fishing landings fell by 10.2% in the first half of 2024, amounting to 469,715 tonnes.
