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Morocco has been singled out in the 2025 Review of Maritime Transport published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as a leading example in trade digitalization and facilitation, thanks to its PORTNET system, an electronic single window for ports and trade operations.
UNCTAD presented PORTNET as a “best practice to share with developing countries,” devoting an in-depth analysis to it in Chapter 4 of the 2025 report released Wednesday. The study emphasized its positive impact on transparency, logistics coordination, and regulatory compliance.
“The Moroccan PORTNET system is an example of successful cooperation between the public and private sectors. It has improved maritime connectivity, logistics performance, and compliance with international commitments such as the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement,” said Hassiba Benamara, an economist with UNCTAD’s Trade Logistics Branch, during a press conference in Geneva.
Launched in 2011 as a maritime single window, PORTNET was expanded in 2015 to encompass all administrative procedures linked to international trade. Today, it operates across 14 Moroccan ports under the supervision of the National Ports Agency (ANP), connecting more than 42 public institutions and offering 120 online services, including ship arrival/departure formalities, customs clearance, and logistics.
The platform processes around 5,000 transactions daily. Import license processing times have been reduced from five days to just three hours, significantly boosting Morocco’s trade competitiveness, with maritime transport accounting for over 95% of the country’s import and export flows.
For Céline Bacrot, an economist at UNCTAD’s Technology and Logistics Division, PORTNET represents a dual achievement, institutional and technical.
“This system works thanks to a strong public-private partnership. The Moroccan state created a framework attentive to business needs, while a deep digital reform has drastically reduced delays and logistics costs,” she told MAP in an interview.
According to Bacrot, “the numbers speak for themselves.” Nearly 20 years on, Morocco has seen a surge in operators, partnerships, and connected agencies. The system now counts over 99,000 users, including 80,000 economic operators and 1,800 freight forwarders. In 95% of cases, data only needs to be submitted once, a level of interoperability that streamlines trade flows and builds trust in Morocco’s port ecosystem.
UNCTAD also commended the rise of Tangier Med, whose performance relies on both digitalized procedures and its strategic position at the gateway to the Mediterranean. Successive global logistics crises, including the blockage of the Suez Canal, have further cemented its role as a key transshipment hub in Africa and the Western Mediterranean.
“This success is above all the result of endogenous factors. Tangier Med is today a model for logistics investment and port efficiency, attracting major shipping companies seeking reliability and high value-added services,” Bacrot underlined.
For UNCTAD, Morocco’s case illustrates how a clear vision, backed by concrete reforms and collaborative governance, can transform a country’s trade infrastructure into a strategic asset.
The report concludes by recommending that developing countries take inspiration from Morocco’s experience to enhance logistics competitiveness and reduce international trade costs, particularly in a context of volatile global supply chains.
MWN with MAP
