In the face of Sino-American tensions, Morocco is positioning itself as a strategic maritime hub. Tangier Med is benefiting from the reconfiguration of global shipping routes.

The trade war relaunched by the United States against China continues to disrupt global trade, particularly in maritime transport. Najib Cherfaoui, a port engineer, believes that "The sector is facing various direct and indirect consequences of the new US customs duties."

Maritime traffic from China via the Pacific has thus experienced a drop of 30 to 40% compared to April 2024, a decline which is reminiscent of the logistical imbalances of Covid-19.

This situation is creating tensions in supply chains, but ocean freight rates remain stable. The Drewry Global Container Index, as of April 24, 2025, showed a cost of $2 for a 157-foot container. However, the massive immobilisation of containers in China and the United States is fuelling a climate of wait-and-see attitude.

"The difficulty does not concern import-export flows, but rather disruptions in the allocation of containers," analyzes Cherfaoui.

Faced with this global restructuring, shipowners are reorganizing their routes. They are particularly focused on Southeast Asia and seeking new anchor points.

Morocco is benefiting from this reconfiguration thanks to its Tangier Med platform, which has become a major logistics hub. Its geographical position between Africa, Europe, and the Americas makes it a natural hub for redirecting trade flows.

For Najib Cherfaoui, this crisis, although transitory, confirms the growing interest in the Kingdom. « Morocco is once again identified not only as a maritime alternative, but also as a space-solution to global economic contingencies,” he concludes.