Morocco Declines Russia’s Request to Bypass Sanctions

Casablanca – Morocco has rejected Russia’s proposal to send supplies to Moscow from Moroccan ports in order to avoid sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

According to Moscow Times, a Russian news platform, Morocco refused to develop a new transshipment facility in Casablanca to handle commodities bound for Russia and to establish a trading house through which Russia might acquire items from foreign countries.

The plan was to construct a hub for the supply of commodities in Morocco to be shipped to Russia in order to partially replace the European ports that were closed to cargo destined for Russia due to sanctions, the same source added.

A feeder route from Casablanca to St. Petersburg was also planned to ship cargo from ocean-going vessels at deep-water ports that would be unloaded onto smaller (feeder) ships and transported to Russia.

The last connection in the plan was the establishment of a trading house that would operate in Russia’s interests.

According to the Russian news source, this plan was designed to assist the resumption of Russian imports, which had ceased following the introduction of sanctions.

Prior to the outbreak of the war, the majority of products from America and Asia were brought to Russia via European ports. Almost two-thirds of imported containers were transported by ocean container ships to Hamburg and Rotterdam.

However, with the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Moscow found itself in a precarious position.

Since shipping goods from Morocco was Russia’s initial plan to mitigate the effects of the sanctions, Moscow is now shifting to plan B.

As a backup plan, Russia is trying to expand imports from India via Iran, the Caspian Sea, or Central Asian states for the time being.