CMA CGM in Partnership to Develop New Transshipment Hub in Morocco

Plans for the development of a major new transshipment hub in Morocco are proceeding with the news that CMA CGM has agreed to invest in a joint venture that will be responsible for the management and development of the terminal at the Port of Nador West Med. Located less than 250 miles from the Strait of Gibraltar, the port will help in relieving the backlog that has developed in the region while also supporting growth and now complementing CMA CGM’s other Western Mediterranean operations.

The concession for the terminal was awarded in June 2024 to a domestic company, Marsa Maroc, which was reported to operate 24 terminals in 10 ports, including a terminal at the leading transshipment port of Tangier Med. They have a 25-year concession and committed €200 million toward the development of Nador West.

CMA CGM will acquire a 49 percent stake in the company from Marsa Maroc. This came after CMA CGM completed a framework agreement with the Tangier Med Group.

North Africa’s transshipment ports have taken on a new critical responding to the closing of the Red Sea, and growth linked to the EU’s carbon fees, which are driving more volumes into the transshipment ports as carriers work to manage under the Fit for 55 emissions regulations and fees. Containerships diverting away from Suez Canal routes have been transshipping containers at Tangier Med and other ports. Some of the carriers are using feeder services to service ports in Italy, Greece, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean.

The plan calls for the West Container Terminal at the Port of Nador West Med to begin operations in 2027 and grow progressively. It will have more than 2,900 linear feet of quay and a 59-foot draft at the dock. The container yard will be 37.5 hectares, and the terminal will have a total area of 60 hectares. It will ultimately be equipped with eight ship-to-shore cranes and a throughput capacity of up to 1.8 million TEU per year.

Planning for the Port of Nador West Med has been underway for more than a decade. In 2015, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development committed to a loan for the development of the port. A second tranche was provided in December 2022 to contribute to the construction of the port.