A few weeks before the start of the Strait Crossing Operation or Marhaba, the port of Malaga is bustling to settle the last logistical details in order to effectively cope with the significant influx of Moroccans from Europe who will transit with or without their vehicles to Morocco.
Due to unfavorable weather conditions (gusts of wind and storm), several shipping companies connecting Morocco from Algeciras and Tarifa had to cancel or suspend their routes.
The shipping company Peregar started a new regular freight connection between the ports of Malaga and Tanger Med on Monday.
The freight forwarders of the port of Algeciras denounce the huge losses suffered due to the closure of maritime and land borders with Morocco.
The port of Motril (Granada) organized an information session for Spanish and Moroccan businessmen to present its infrastructure and the advantages of its regular connection with the port of Tanger Med, operated by the shipping company Balearia.
The port of Motril has just launched the construction work of a new vehicle control post to streamline traffic with Morocco, especially during the passage of MREs.
Freight traffic from the port of Motril to the Moroccan ports of Nador and Tanger Med has seen a considerable increase after the resumption of maritime links, which had been suspended due to the health crisis related to Covid-19.
Spanish ports like Algeciras fear losing a large part of their freight traffic due to the new EU directive on CO₂ emission trading markets. The Moroccan port of Tanger Med could recover this important traffic.
The port of Tanger-Med, a geostrategic port for freight traffic, is in full expansion, far outpacing its most direct competitors in Spain, the ports of Algeciras and Valencia.
The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) will accelerate this year the process of electrifying the berths in Algeciras and Tarifa to reduce gas emissions.
The blockage of goods at the port of Algeciras due to the new procedures implemented in the inspection service and the lack of staff are jeopardizing international trade with Morocco, even the relations between the two countries.
The Volcán de Tauce ship of the shipping company Balearia, which recently launched the regular connection between the port of Motril and the port of Tanger-Med in Morocco, has already transported about 500 trucks in just one month.