Rabat – Morocco’s major trade hub, Tangier Med, is in the lead in Africa, ranking 23rd among the largest ports worldwide, according to the latest report from the maritime data provider Alphaliner.
With over 7.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) containers handled in 2021, the Tangier port features among the top 100 largest ports in the world. Shanghai’s port leads the ranking with 47 million TEUs containers in the same year.
Tangier Med’s ranking testifies to its position as the leading port in Africa and the Mediterranean. In 2019, the port was upgraded to handle 9 million containers, ranking 18th largest port in the world and first on the continent.
The Tangier port surpassed Jakarta port and the India-based ports Mundra and Nhava Sheva, according to data from Alphaliner.
The port saw a 24.3% growth between 2020 and 2021, going from 5.7 TEUs containers to 7.1 million TEUs containers.
Compared to 2019 it handled 4.8 million TEUs containers and recorded a traffic increase of 20.2% the following year.
The port continues showing positive indicators despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The positive results are due to the launch of container terminals TC4 and TC3 in Tangier Med 2 in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
In 2021, Tangier Med port alone processed over 50% of the total port tonnage of Morocco, handling 101 million tonnes of goods, up by 25% compared to 2020.
The outstanding performances achieved by Tangier Med in recent years consolidate its strategic role in becoming a leading hub in the Mediterranean and Africa.
Of Alphaliner’s top 30 rankings, China dominates with nine ports.
The top five largest ports worldwide are Shanghai port, Singapore port, Ningbo-Zhoushan port, Shenzhen port, and Guangzhou-Nansha port.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s Jebel Ali port ranks first in the Middle East.
Read Also: Tanger Med Shows Remarkable Progress Despite Pandemic
