Morocco Breaks Ground on Tanger Med 3 Following Meeting with King Mohammed VI

King Mohammed VI chaired a working session at the Royal Palace in Rabat dedicated to Morocco's port projects, during which the start of construction on Tanger Med 3 was announced. According to the Royal Cabinet, the same meeting also reviewed plans for Nador West Med, whose first container terminal will begin operations in the coming days.

The Moroccan government signed a new concession with APM Terminals for the third phase of Tanger Med. The new port will be located west of Tanger Med 2, will feature a 1,200-meter quay, and will add an extra capacity of 4.5 million TEUs per year. According to Maritime Executive, the government is projecting an investment of around $2.2 million for this development.

With Tanger Med 3 coming online, the Moroccan government estimates that the Tanger Med port complex could reach a total capacity of 20 million TEUs, which would place it among the ten largest ports in the world. The terminal has gained relevance as a transshipment hub for the Gemini Cooperation alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, which bypasses the Suez Canal and Red Sea corridor, while Morocco also seeks to benefit from shippers rerouting cargo to avoid the European Union's carbon levies.

In parallel, Nador West Med is moving forward as the country's second major port development. According to the Royal Cabinet, the project combines port infrastructure with industrial, logistics, and energy platforms, and has so far involved more than $5.5 billion in public and private investment. The first container terminal, with a capacity of 3.5 million TEUs, will come into operation in the coming days, while a second terminal, with a capacity of 1.8 million TEUs, is set to launch in April 2027.