Morocco has eased congestion at Casablanca Port after months of operational pressure, cutting delays by nearly half through a coordinated effort designed to keep one of Africa’s most important trade gateways moving. The improvement comes at a critical time for the country, where the port plays a central role in handling strategic imports, particularly cereals and livestock feed that support domestic food supplies and broader economic activity.

The National Ports Agency (ANP) said Casablanca Port had been operating under growing strain since December 2025 as several challenges converged. Prolonged periods of adverse weather, rising cargo volumes and operational disruptions placed sustained pressure on the country’s busiest commercial port. During that period, the facility recorded 38 days of activity restrictions caused by heavy swells and intense rainfall, while an operational incident in February 2026 added to the disruption.

The timing could hardly have been more challenging. Casablanca Port has been processing a steady rise in imports, especially cereals and livestock feed, commodities that are essential to Morocco’s food security. According to the ANP, the port handles about 60 percent of Morocco’s cereal imports and roughly 70 percent of its livestock feed supplies, making uninterrupted operations increasingly important as cargo volumes continued to climb.

Logistics optimization eases port infrastructure strain

Beyond agricultural imports, the port has also experienced unusually strong demand linked to Morocco’s ongoing infrastructure development plans through 2030. Increased shipments of raw materials and equipment for major projects have added another layer of pressure, forcing authorities to manage growing vessel traffic while maintaining the steady movement of strategic goods entering the country.

Rather than allowing congestion to deepen, the ANP worked alongside port operators and local authorities to strengthen operational management across the port. The response focused on improving the efficiency of vessel movements from arrival through cargo discharge. Authorities increased monitoring of ships waiting offshore and alongside berths, improved the allocation of docking spaces, tightened oversight of cargo clearance rates and strengthened coordination with freight recipients to speed up the removal of goods from the port.

The management plan also gave priority access to vessels carrying empty containers and bulk carriers transporting food products and other essential commodities. That approach was designed to protect supply chains while reducing bottlenecks that could have affected businesses and consumers relying on imported goods.

According to the ANP, the combined efforts of stakeholders throughout the port community have produced measurable improvements. Continuous operations around the clock, better transport availability and more streamlined inspection procedures have helped ease pressure across the facility. Waiting times for container ships and roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels have returned to normal levels, while delays affecting bulk carriers, particularly those transporting grain and animal feed, have continued to decline.

Infrastructure upgrades boost strategic import flows

For Morocco, the results extend beyond shorter waiting times for ships. The improvements underscore Casablanca Port’s capacity to manage exceptional increases in activity while preserving the flow of imports considered strategic to the country’s economy. As one of North Africa’s most important maritime gateways, maintaining efficient cargo movement is essential for supporting industrial activity, food supplies and commercial trade.

The ANP said the recent operational gains will be reinforced by a series of long-term infrastructure projects already under construction. Among the largest is the expansion of the Marsa Maroc and TC3 container terminals, a project expected to increase Casablanca Port’s annual container handling capacity from 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to about 2.2 million TEUs by 2030.

Additional projects include deepening Marsa Maroc’s multipurpose terminal to accommodate larger vessels, building new storage facilities dedicated to livestock feed, reconfiguring the mineral terminal, and accelerating the digitalization of port operations. Together, the investments are intended to strengthen the port’s ability to handle higher cargo volumes while improving operational efficiency.

For the ANP, the recent reduction in congestion demonstrates what coordinated operational management can achieve during periods of sustained pressure. As cargo volumes continue to grow alongside Morocco’s broader economic development plans, the agency says the ongoing investments are aimed at making Casablanca Port more resilient, more competitive and better equipped to support the country’s expanding trade and logistics needs through the years ahead.