Morocco aims for Maritime Renaissance with a national commercial fleet Project
Major developments in the port sector increasingly highlight the need to promote volume growth, a shared objective among several African countries, including Morocco.
The Moroccan Ministry of Transport recently announced the preparation of a strategic study aimed at establishing a national fleet for maritime commerce, with the goal of enhancing the country’s competitiveness in maritime transportation.
The study’s mission is to assess the current state of commercial navigation to align it with international best practices, creating an environment conducive to encouraging investments in this sector, explained Minister Mohamed Abdeljalil.
Morocco’s competitiveness in maritime navigation has been significantly impacted by the decline of its merchant marine fleet, dropping from 70 vessels in 1989 to only 17 currently, including 6 dedicated to passenger transport and 11 to freight, according to Najib Cherfaoui, a port and maritime expert.
In an interview with Media 24, Cherfaoui emphasized that the current fleet covers only about 10% of the national demand for maritime transport, leading to losses estimated at nearly USD 2 billion (including additional costs of around USD 600 million) due to transport costs imposed by foreign shipping companies.
This ambitious project aims to restore the reputation of maritime transport in Morocco, providing not only currency savings but also the opportunity to fully capitalize on the current dynamics of the port industry—one of the most advanced on the continent and in competition with major global port hubs.
Pedro Okalamar
