The presidents of Andalusia’s seven ports have agreed to work together to develop common strategies in the face of growing competition, especially after Maersk, a global leader in container shipping, moved its operations from Algeciras to Tanger Med, Spanish media report.
This decision by Maersk is a blow to southern Spanish ports and could encourage other shipping companies to adopt a similar approach. This situation leads Andalusian ports to adopt a strategy against Tanger Med.
Teófila Martínez, President of the Port of Cadiz, stressed the importance of cooperation between Andalusian ports, pointing out that their main competitors are in the north of Morocco. “We are not in competition with each other, we are working together, because our competitors are in the north of Morocco and in the north of Europe.”she hinted.
For his part, Gerardo Landaluce, President of the Algeciras Bay Port Authority, stressed the need to improve port connectivity to face this competition. “The localist approach is completely outdated“, he emphasizes. Rafael Carmona, President of the Port of Seville, for his part mentioned the creation of a “ Railway highway » Strengthening connections between Andalusian ports and the Spanish capital, which could make them more competitive with Moroccan ports.
Everyone agreed that while the port system is generally satisfactory, improvements are needed to strengthen support for ports, particularly with regard to rail integration.
Finally, Rosario Soto, President of the Port of Almería, announced an investment of 100 million euros to promote freight and passenger traffic, emphasizing the strategic importance of this port for connections with North Africa, especially Morocco, where the port of Algeciras is worth a million euros transported passengers. “ The operation “Crossing the Strait of Almería” is the second at national level. We have carried a million passengers at the port of Almería, 200,000 more than at the airport in 2024“Soto said.
