Agadir’s seaport has recorded an increase of 18.2% in traffic in 2020, Morocco’s National Port Agency (ANP) announced in a recent report. The significant increase represents an overall amount of 6 million tons through the port of Agadir in 2020 against 5.1 million tons a year earlier. ANP’s 2020 annual report reveals, “The increase in traffic at Agadir seaport is particularly attributable to the strong rebound of 62.3% in clinker traffic with a volume of 1,137,023 tons in 2020, while the traffic of citrus fruits and early vegetables fell by 4.3%, reaching a volume of around 64,192 tons.” Moroccan imports increased by 13.9% in the same period of time, while exports and coasting trade rose by 24.4% and 16.7% respectively. Meanwhile, the volume of imported cereal grew by 36.8% and grain vessels reached 23% compared to 2019. The average volume of grain handled per transit at the port of Agadir amounted to 21.764 tons in 2020.
The volume of cargo activity recorded an average value of 2.1 million tons and the number of cruise passengers stood at 19.952 individuals in 2020, down from 79.600 a year earlier. The number of ships repaired at the port of Agadir increased by 22%, reaching 739 ships by the end of 2020. The seaport’s containers recorded a volume of 1.85 million tons, i.e. +5.4%, while container ships having served the port observed a decline of 17.2% with nearly 246 stopovers in 2020 compared to 297 in 2019. Adding to the positive prospects of the good performance registered in Agadir’s port is the much-anticipated construction of Dakhla Atlantic-port, which is expected to facilitate over 2.2 million tons in trade goods, with over 950,000 tons in seafood trade alone.