Mohammedia – Morocco’s ports remain one of the catalysts of trade growth in the country, registering an uplift of 11.2% in the overall volume of traffic handled by the end of September 2025. The overall volume of goods handled stands at 196.8 million tonnes, up from last year’s 177 million tons, as reported by the port authorities.
The transshipment sector led the growth, up 15.7% at 97.9 million tons, entrenching its role as the most prominent sector, and accounting for close to half of all port flows (49.7%). Domestic traffic was also up, totaling 98.9 million tons, up 7.1% from last year.
In terms of traffic composition, imports constituted 30.1% of traffic, exports accounted for 15.9%, coastal trade or cabotage was responsible for 3.6%, and bunkering was 0.7%.
Imports, exports, and Main commodities
Imports rose to 59.3 million tons, up by 4.8%, and exports increased by 7.6% to 31.3 million tons. Among these, coastal trade showed maximum growth of 30% and touched a remarkable 7 million tons, followed by bunker fuel, which decreased by 0.8%.
There was a mixed trend in strategic commodities. Containerized traffic rose by 9.8% to 9.4 million TEUs, due to the development of port infrastructure, especially at Tangier Med.
Imported hydrocarbons rose by 5.6% to 10.3 million tons, while phosphates and associated products rose by just 2.8% to 25.8 million tons.
There was a strong growth of 16% in coal imports, keeping pace with home energy demand. Meanwhile, international road transport units recorded an improvement of 7.2%, while imports of grains and new vehicles fell by 8.2% and 5.9%, respectively.
Tourism and fisheries
Passenger volumes handled at Moroccan ports totaled 4.7 million passengers, registering a growth of 3.7% from the previous year. The cruise market was quite lively, registering a remarkable growth of 68.2% to a total of 213,101 passengers, indicating a revival of maritime tourism.
Less positively, however, was the condition of the fishing sector, as coastal and artisanal fisheries fell by 13% to 814,743 tons, one of just a few declines within a thriving maritime sector.
As its transshipping and container volumes continue to grow, the Moroccan port system has consolidated its role as an integral trade gateway connecting Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic Ocean shipping lanes, despite fluctuations in some of its key markets.
