Morocco: port traffic exceeds 90 Million Tonnes in 2021

Port traffic has reached a volume of about 91 million tonnes in 2021, i.e a 3.8% increase compared to the previous year, according to the activity report of the National Agency of Ports (ANP).

Container traffic has reached a record of 1.3 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent) containers in contrast to 2021, according to the report presented by the Director-General of the Agency, Nadia Laraki at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the ANP, held recently at the headquarters of the Ministry of Equipment and Water in Rabat.

The balance sheet shows clear declines of 24.1% and 21.8% respectively in imports of cereals and livestock feed due to the good 2020-2021 agricultural season, and a 4.2% drop in the traffic related to phosphates activity, as well as a recovery of 8.5% of the traffic of hydrocarbons, said a statement from the Ministry of Equipment and Water.

In terms of sectoral regulation, the past year has been marked by the introduction of new port operators, including in the field of shipyards and in the exercise of port activities related, the support of port operators for the realization of their investment projects and the animation of the port ecosystem around community topics, according to the same source.

Regarding the development and modernization of the port tool, the Agency has continued during the year 2021 the achievement of various projects committed, via the implementation of necessary arrangements to face any effects of the health crisis, the ministry noted in the statement, adding that the Agency has finalized the various projects planned under the program ‘Wessal Casablanca-Port’.

In terms of financial achievements, the turnover of the Agency for the past year has exceeded, for the first time, the mark of 2 billion dirhams, i.e. a 6.5% increase compared to 5% in 2020.

The self-financing capacity was established at 561.6 million dirhams, Laraki noted, mentioning a growth of 12.8% of value-added, standing at 1.3 billion dirhams, or +1% compared to 2020.

During this meeting, the Board of Directors took note of the consolidation of national ports’ resilience amid disruptions in the global supply chain recorded during the past year, the continued implementation of various structural projects underway, as well as the good performance of financial indicators of the Agency.