Casablanca Port Traffic Surges with Import Dominance
The Port of Casablanca proudly reported a remarkable 7% increase in overall traffic during the first half of 2026, reaching a total of 17 million tons. However, these record results do not overshadow the underlying structural vulnerabilities that persist within the port's operations. This commercial dynamism was particularly fueled by an impressive 32% spike in traffic during June alone, highlighting a concerning imbalance: the nation's primary economic hub remains overwhelmingly reliant on imports, which constitute 75% of the total traffic, while exports show only a modest growth of 2%.
According to data from the National Ports Agency (ANP), the overall traffic at Casablanca Port amounted to 17 million tons by the end of the first half of 2026, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth is driven by an accelerated dynamic, especially in June, where 3,532,053 tons were processed, up from 2,680,112 tons in June 2025, reflecting an impressive rise of 32% as noted in the ANP's statement.
Import-Export Dynamics and Operational Challenges
The structure of exchanges through Casablanca Port remains heavily skewed towards imports, which accounted for 75% of the total traffic, translating to 12,815,009 tons. In contrast, exports totaled 4,186,933 tons, representing only 25% of the overall volume. Compared to the first half of 2025, imports have increased by 8%, while exports have only risen by 2%, reaffirming the port's strategic role in supplying the national economy while supporting export flows.
Notably, several key traffic categories have shown favorable trends, as per the ANP. Grain imports hit 3.3 million tons, a 13% increase from the end of June 2025, while livestock feed traffic continued to grow, reaching 1.06 million tons—a growth of 33%. Additionally, container traffic surpassed 762,557 TEUs, marking a 5% increase, whereas ro-ro traffic experienced substantial growth, processing 93,824 units compared to 69,318 the previous year, which translates to a 35% increase.
These results come on the heels of a particularly demanding period characterized by a series of operational challenges of unprecedented intensity, including extreme weather conditions, an unprecedented influx of strategic imports, and an exceptional maritime incident that occurred on February 25, involving the loss of containers from a container ship shortly after its departure.
The ANP asserts that the Port of Casablanca effectively managed these situations without compromising the continuity of trade or the security of the Kingdom's strategic supplies. The agency emphasized that, in close coordination with all relevant authorities, concessionaires, and operators at the port, it implemented a strengthened operational framework. This included ongoing coordination of interventions, dynamic management of berthing schedules, continuous optimization of reception capacities, constant adaptation of operational organization, and controlled management of the maritime incident that took place in February 2026.
This collective and ongoing mobilization, according to the ANP, has preserved the continuity of public port services, guaranteed the fluidity of operations, and ensured the security of logistical chains throughout this sensitive period. Today, the operations at the Port of Casablanca have returned to normal functioning with managed vessel processing times.
The statement also highlighted that this dynamic aligns with a sustainable transformation strategy spearheaded by the ANP and various stakeholders at the port, focusing on expanding container processing capacities, modernizing terminals, developing logistics spaces, and accelerating the digitalization of operations. Furthermore, the Port of Casablanca retains its ISO 14001 certification, confirming that its environmental management system complies with international standards and reflecting its commitment to responsible resource management and ongoing improvement of its environmental performance.As reported by ecoactu.ma.
