Exporting from Morocco to the United States will cost up to $500 more per container
CMA CGM will increase its rates between Morocco and the United States starting September 15. The additional cost will reach $250 for a small container and $500 for larger ones, as Moroccan products are already facing a new US tax.
Shipping Moroccan goods to the United States will cost more with CMA CGM. The French shipping company will apply a new increase to all affected shipments leaving Moroccan ports as of September 15, 2026.
The measure takes the form of a “rate restoration initiative.” According to the rate notice published by CMA CGM, an additional $250 will be charged for each 20-foot container.
The surcharge will reach $500 for 40-foot containers, High Cube models of the same length, and 45-foot containers. This amount will be added to the base transportation price, as well as any possible costs related to fuel, port handling, security, or local fees.
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Morocco is not the only country concerned. The new rate schedule will apply to departures from the entire Western Mediterranean, including Italy, France, and the Spanish ports of Valencia, Barcelona, and Algeciras.
For Moroccan exporters using CMA CGM services, the increase will cover shipments bound for the three US maritime gateways: the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the West Coast. Goods continuing their journey inland across the United States from these ports are also included.
The company specifies that all types of goods are affected, with the exception of out-of-gauge cargo. Agricultural, textile, and industrial products transported in standard containers may therefore be subject to this increase.
A second additional cost for Moroccan products
This increase in freight costs comes in a context that is already less favorable to Moroccan companies. Since July 24, Washington has imposed a 12.5% surcharge on a large share of goods from Morocco.
US authorities adopted this measure because they consider Morocco’s mechanisms for blocking the entry of products made using forced labor to be insufficient. They do not directly accuse companies in the Kingdom of resorting to such practices, but the tax nevertheless affects their sales in the United States.
For products affected by both measures, the increase in costs is therefore doubled. US customs duties raise their price upon arrival, while CMA CGM’s new rate schedule increases their transportation costs as soon as they leave Morocco.
A $500 increase remains relatively small when spread across a high-value shipment. It may, however, weigh more heavily on bulky, low-cost goods or products sold with narrow margins. The effect will also depend on the exporter’s ability to pass the expense on to its US customer.
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Trade between the two countries reached $7.39 billion in 2025, including $1.86 billion in Moroccan sales to the United States. The Kingdom therefore remains largely in deficit in its trade with the US market.
Morocco nevertheless has had a free trade agreement with the United States since 2006. This agreement had gradually eliminated most customs duties, but the new US taxes and the increase in freight costs are now reducing part of this advantage.