Morocco’s Tangier Med Port Ranks 4th Best Port Globally

Rabat – The Port of Tangier Med ranked fourth in the World Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) for 2023, marking its second consecutive year as the top port in both Africa and Europe.

Compiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, the CPPI 2023 is based on an extensive dataset, including over 182,000 vessel calls, 238.2 million container movements, and approximately 381 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

The index evaluated 405 container ports worldwide. East and Southeast Asian ports dominated the top 20, with Tangier Med standing out as a leading port outside this region.

Tangier Med’s ascent in the CPPI highlights its significant operational efficiency, particularly in minimizing ship dwell time.

China’s Yangshan Port secured the top position for the second year in a row, followed by Salalah in Oman and Cartagena in Colombia. Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas rounded out the top five.

Martin Humphreys, Senior Transport Economist at the World Bank, emphasized the importance of resilience and innovation in port operations, especially in light of the ongoing volatility in container shipping.

“Major ports need to invest in resilience, new technologies, and green infrastructure to ensure the stability of global markets and the sustainability of the shipping industry,” he stated.

Tangier Med’s impressive performance is also reflected in its operational statistics. In 2023, the port handled a record 8.6 million containers, a 13.4% increase from the previous year.

The number of vessels transiting through the port rose by 17% to 16,900. These gains were accompanied by a significant financial upturn, with the port’s revenue growing by 18.3% to $1 billion in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

The CPPI report also noted the inclusion of 57 new ports, such as Muuga in Estonia and Duqm in Oman, illustrating the expanding scope and depth of global port performance analysis.

Turloch Mooney, Head of Port Information and Analysis at S&P Global Market Intelligence, pointed out the growing awareness of the critical role of efficient maritime gateways in economic development.