A cargo ship in Tanger Med. Credit: AFP
The Danish shipping company Maersk has decided to forgo stopovers at the port of Algeciras on its MECL service, which connects the Middle East and India to the United States, and to opt for the port of Tanger Med. This strategic change aims to optimize transit times and adapt to new commercial regulations.
On its route west, the MECL service will add a stop in Mundra (India), while removing that of Algeciras. On return from the United States, the stopover at the Algeciras dock will be replaced by a stopover at Tanger Med, in Morocco. According to Maersk, these adjustments will reduce transit times from India, Pakistan and the Middle East to the U.S. East Coast by an average of five days.
Additionally, this new route completely avoids European ports, which appears to be linked to the European Union’s Emissions Trading (ETS) regulations, which tax CO2 emissions from ships.
Maersk’s new route will include the following stops: Jebel Ali (United Arab Emirates), Mundra (India), Pipavav (India), Nhava Sheva (India), Salalah (Oman), Newark, Charleston, Savannah, Houston and Norfolk (States -United), with return to Newark, Tanger Med (Morocco) and Salalah (Oman).
With this change, Maersk strengthens the strategic relevance of Tanger Med as a key maritime hub in the Strait of Gibraltar, while reducing costs and times of its international operations.
The first trip of the new rotation will be made by the Maersk Atlanta on February 24.
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