The port of Tangier Med expects an increase in ship calls as the escalation of tensions in the Middle East forces shipping companies to divert their routes around the African continent via the Cape of Good Hope, according to Idriss Aarabi, general director of the Moroccan port authority, in statements to Reuters this Monday.
Major container shipping companies, including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and CMA CGM, have reported this month that they are diverting their vessels via the route around the Cape of Good Hope, avoiding the Suez Canal, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Strait of Hormuz. This diversion adds between 10 and 14 additional transit days for vessels to reach Tangier Med, Aarabi explained.
The Moroccan port, located north of Morocco next to the Strait of Gibraltar and directly adjacent to the Port of Algeciras, is focusing on "capacity management and congestion prevention" in light of the expected increase in traffic, the general director of the port facility stated.
"The total impact on cargo flows is not expected to be visible until mid or late April 2026," Aarabi indicated, specifying that no cancellations of calls at the port have been recorded at this stage.
Ships have avoided the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on navigation in the Red Sea began. U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz have intensified this trend, suggesting that the fuel supply sector in Africa will benefit from the prolongation of instability in the region.
The increase in fuel costs has exerted additional pressure on freight rates due to the longer routes through the Cape of Good Hope, Aarabi added. Shipping companies have introduced surcharges for war risk, emergency conflict, and diversion ranging from $1,500 to $3,300 per standard container, with rates reaching up to $4,000 for specialized equipment, the port authority detailed.
Tangier Med surpassed its Mediterranean counterparts in 2025 with 11.1 million containers handled, an 8.4% increase over the previous year, and has connections with more than 180 ports worldwide. The geographical position of the Moroccan facility, at the western entrance of the Mediterranean, makes it a natural stopover point for ships opting for the African route, being the first major transshipment port encountered by vessels from the southern part of the continent before accessing the European market.
The situation in the Strait of Gibraltar could lead to increased activity at surrounding ports, including Algeciras, which shares with Tangier Med the status of a major transshipment hub in the area. The increase in calls linked to route diversion represents an operational opportunity, but also a logistical challenge for infrastructures that will need to manage additional traffic volumes in a context of rising costs and supply chains under unprecedented pressure.