For Tanger Med, establishing a grip on the Strait every day is only inevitable, no offense to Algeciras which, in the race for the largest port in the region, is moving away and becoming only a distant point in The rear view mirror.
It is a fact that Tangier is attracting more and more container traffic to the detriment of Algeciras and its port complex continues to develop in its splendour. After becoming the leading container port in the Mediterranean basin in 2020, precisely by dethroning its rival the port of Algeciras with a total of 5,771,221 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent) of containers handled, Tanger Med has further widened this gap, by 2021.
During this exercise Tanger Med handled a total of 7,173,870 TEU containers, an increase of 24% compared to 2020, while, at the same time, the port of Algeciras was content with a traffic of 4,796 TEU containers, 6% less than in 2020, according to official figures from the Spanish port.
In other words, the traffic gap between the two ports, formerly described as “twins” by the specialized press, increased from 0.6 million to 2.37 million TEUs of containers handled, further consolidating the regional leadership of the complex. port of Tangier Med.
Historic transhipment hub (85% of total flows), the Andalusian port, Algeciras no longer hides its despair in the face of greater competitive pressure than it has, since the inauguration in January 2021 of the Tanger Med TC3 terminal, of stop suffering. The management of Med TC3 was entrusted to Tanger Alliance (managed by Moroccan operator Marsa Maroc and Eurogate/Contship, which were later joined by Hapag-Lloyd with a 10% stake).
For its part will say the Spanish media “La Razon“ “ The Andalusian port, according to the specialized press, is multiplying rail investments to accelerate activity, excluding transhipment. But for now it is suffering, with containerized traffic down 6% in 2021 “.
Despite this, Tangier is staying the course. In terms of investments last November, APM Terminals, a subsidiary of the Danish maritime giant Maersk, announced that it had injected more than 400 million dollars into Terminal 4 (TC4) Tanger Med 2, to increase the length of the quay from 1,200 meters (currently at 2,000 meters), as well as its reception capacity which should increase from 2 million TEUs, to 5 million in total. A strategic investment, which confirms Maersk’s desire to make Tanger Med its major logistics hub in the Mediterranean. According to well-informed sources, Maersk’s decision to invest in Tanger Med Port 2 TC4 is expected to shift traffic from Algeciras Port to the more competitive Tanger Med Port.
The Tanger Med port complex is in the process of consolidating its position as a major hub for major global maritime alliances, led by Maersk Line, CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd. The advantages include a quality road transport network, the presence of highly qualified workers, lower wages and adequate legislation.
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