As Morocco's economy takes off and develops, Spain, its leading trading partner, is undoubtedly benefiting the most. It goes without saying that logistics is at the heart of this economic development, as it is its essential, not to say vital, element.  

Indeed, it is on exchanges and trade, and therefore on the flow of goods and money, that the common good is built. That said, from this point of view, geographical proximity, close trade relations and the importance of the Moroccan market can only encourage companies on both sides of the Atlantic to improve their competitiveness and performance through these logistics solutions.

Given that the volume of port traffic between Spain and Morocco reached a total of 573 million tonnes in 2022, of which 30% was handled by the Andalusian ports of Algeciras, Huelva, Cadiz, Seville, Malaga, Motril and Almeria alone, it's clear that Andalusia, like the Moroccan ports, is a market opportunity worth pursuing.

And rightly so, as the Logismed trade show (June 13 to 15) celebrated its tenth anniversary. The event, which brought together players in the transport and logistics sector in Casablanca, focused on the exchange of goods between Africa and Europe, in general, and between Spain and Morocco, in particular, given that most trade takes place by sea.

The growth in traffic with Morocco should not be overlooked, as this is due to the steady increase in trade with Spain over the past 10 years. The volume or total amount of trade (exports + imports) has risen from €9 billion in 2013 to €16.8 billion in 2021 (+86.6%). The two Kingdoms have been able to maintain this momentum in the 2022 financial year, with exports up 27.7% in the first ten months (+21.2% for imports).

A dynamic fueled by Morocco's economic growth, characterized by export flows of agricultural products and the effect of Morocco's industrialization around Tangier Med (automotive in particular) and the development of new integration schemes.

This is not the case with Spain's relations with Algeria, a country paralyzed by its business environment and the absence of a real strategy for opening up its industrial and commercial sectors. In contrast to Morocco, Spain's trade with Algeria has followed the opposite trajectory, declining between 2013 (€13.2 bn) and 2021 (€6.7 bn). Figures for the first 10 months of 2022 point to a 36% drop in exports.

Returning to Logismed, Morocco has enormous potential to become an essential hub for international logistics chains, as it is "endowed with international-standard transport infrastructures and international and national connectivity", said the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, in his opening address.

The Kingdom," he adds, "has been able to attract major investments in various sectors, such as the automotive industry, agriculture and agri-food, energy and aeronautics", adding that "the logistics sector can build on these major achievements and strengthen its competitiveness by setting up massification and intermodal nodes".

Logismed, the ultimate showcase for services and business development, was also an opportunity to take stock of the health of the transport and logistics sector after a two-year break due to Dame Covid. The role of technology and digitization, decarbonization and how to reach customers through increasingly efficient distribution channels were also highlighted.

Omni-channelization" or omnichannelity was not left out, and its theme was addressed at all the conferences, exhibitions and other workshops. This invaluable marketing strategy between company and customer aims to maintain a lasting relationship with consumers, tailored to their needs.

A commercial approach that offers the customer a unique experience has led to exponential growth in online shopping, with customers becoming increasingly demanding.

Mohamed Jaouad EL KANABI