Tanger Med is now the world’s 16th busiest container port after handling a record 11.1 million containers in 2025, according to a ranking published by Spanish maritime platform Puertos y Terminales.
The port handled 11,106,164 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the year, up 8.4% from about 10.24 million TEUs in 2024. It also moved around 161 million tonnes of commercial cargo.
The ranking is based on the port’s performance in 2025 and shows its steady growth as one of the world’s biggest shipping and logistics hubs.
Four container terminals processed the record traffic. They are operated by APM Terminals, Eurogate and Marsa Morocco.
The newest terminal uses automated cranes that can handle some of the world’s largest container ships carrying more than 24,000 TEUs. The port’s deep-water berths, with depths of up to 18 metres, allow fully loaded mega-ships to dock without tidal restrictions.
Digital systems also play a key role in daily operations. Real-time vessel tracking helps manage ship arrivals, while a paperless platform connects customs, shipping companies, freight forwarders and terminal operators. Automated systems also track containers as they move through the port.
The port has also helped grow a large industrial zone around it. More than 1,200 companies now operate in nearby free zones, investing in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, textile and services sectors.
Rail links connect the port with Renault’s factory in Melloussa and the Peugeot-Citroën network in Kenitra. Roll-on/roll-off terminals handle hundreds of thousands of vehicles each year. Nearby industrial parks also support global aerospace and electronics manufacturers.
Tanger Med sits on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes at the Strait of Gibraltar, linking Europe, Africa and the Atlantic. Most of its container traffic is transshipment, with cargo transferred from one ship to another before continuing to destinations around the world.
Long-term investment in port infrastructure, industry and logistics has helped drive this growth over the past two decades. Trade agreements with the European Union, the United States, China and other international markets have also strengthened Tangier Med’s role as a global trade and manufacturing hub.
