THE ACTIVITY OF THE PORTS OF MOROCCO FOR THE YEAR 2022
The Moroccan ports have recorded a positive evolution of the global port traffic, which went from 192.1 million tons in 2021 to 195 million tons in 2022, i.e. an increase of 1.5%: the domestic traffic recorded a volume of 110.1 million tons (-1.2%) while transhipment reached a volume of 84.8 million tons, i.e. a growth of 5.3% compared to 2021. The distribution of traffic in 2022 saw a predominance of transhipment activity, representing a share of 43.5% of overall traffic, followed by imports with 33.8%, exports with 17.8%, cabotage with 3.9% and bunkering with 0.9%.
For the transhipment activity, the port complex of Tangier Med has confirmed its position as a major logistics platform in the Mediterranean basin, recording a traffic of 84.8 million tons during the year 2022, a progression of 5.3% compared to the previous year. This increase is attributable to the increase in the volume of container transhipment (81.6 million tonnes/+5.3%) and hydrocarbons (3.1 million tonnes/+8.3%).
Imports for the year 2022 were established at 65.9 million tonnes, thus marking an increase compared to 2021 (+3.2%). This performance is mainly due to the variation in the traffic of cereals (8.9 million tonnes/+23.3%), hydrocarbons (12.1 million tonnes/+7.5%), ammonia (1.8 million tonnes/+14%) and coal (11.2 million tonnes/+0.4%).
The volume of exports fell by 13% in 2022, recording 34.7 million tonnes. A decrease in volume correlated with a significant increase in value, especially for phosphate products which were at the origin of this variation: raw phosphate (5.4 million tonnes/-42.7%), fertilisers (9.1 million tonnes/-16.8%), phosphoric acid (2.6 million tonnes/-29.3%), sulphuric acid (1.3 million tonnes/-39.8%). On the other hand, the traffic of containers in export experienced a good recovery in 2022 (4.4 million tonnes/+13.1%).
The traffic of new vehicles reached 580 818 units during 2022, recording a significant increase of 11.5% compared to 2021, of which more than 67% were destined for export and produced by the Renault, Somaca and Stellantis factories.
As for the cabotage, the exchange between the Moroccan ports has known a significant increase of 24.8% compared to the year 2021, by recording a volume of 7.6 million tons in 2022, induced essentially by the increase of the traffic of containers (+4.8%) and hydrocarbons (+18.9%).
The bunkering of hydrocarbons has seen an increase of +15.3% compared to the year 2021. It recorded a volume of 1.8 million tonnes, for the benefit of ships transiting through the Strait of Gibraltar.
As for passenger traffic, Moroccan ports saw 3 451 882 PAX transiting in 2022, i.e. a significant increase of 377.2% compared to 2021, and this within the framework of the “Marhaba 2022” operation. The ports of Nador, Tanger Med and Tanger-Ville have ensured the transit of more than 96% of the global traffic of passengers.
As for the cruise activity, it has marked a recovery with a number of 114 371 cruise passengers in 2022, especially after the sanitary restrictions of the two years linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, the volume of landings of coastal and artisanal marine fisheries products, during 2022, increased by 13.4% to 1.5 million tonnes.
With 167.6 million tons treated in 2022, the ports of Tangier Med, Casablanca and Jorf Lasfar concentrate almost 86% of the global traffic. Thus, the port of Tangier Med is at the top of the list, recording 107.8 million tons. For domestic traffic, the port of Jorf Lasfar maintains its first position in the Kingdom in terms of volume of goods handled in import-export, with a volume of 34 million tons, followed by the port of Casablanca with a volume of 25.8 million tons.
Source & photo: Ministry of Equipment and Water, Morocco
