Maersk–APM signs concession for Tanger Med 3 terminal as Morocco bets big

Maersk–APM has signed a concession agreement to develop a new container terminal at Tanger Med 3 in Morocco, a project that adds 4.5 million containers of annual handling capacity for 8 billion Moroccan dirhams of planned investment.

Morocco's Royal Cabinet announced the deal following a working session chaired by King Mohammed VI at the Royal Palace in Rabat. The meeting reviewed progress on Tanger Med 3 and the imminent launch of the first container terminal at Nador West Med, the country's second major deep-water port project on the Mediterranean coast.

Construction on Tanger Med 3 should begin shortly. The new port sits west of Tanger Med 2 and will carry 1,200 metres of quay. For carriers and forwarders routing Asia–Europe and transatlantic cargo through the Strait of Gibraltar, that is meaningful additional optionality at a hub that has been running close to design limits.

The project does more than add box capacity. It supports the ongoing expansion of Tanger Med's passenger and ro-ro facilities and enables the eastern extension of Tanger Med 2, extending the complex's reach beyond pure container throughput.

Once the new projects complete, the Tanger Med complex could reach 20 million containers of total annual capacity. Per the Royal Cabinet, that would place the Moroccan complex among the world's 10 largest container ports — a jump that would put Tanger Med in the same conversation as Rotterdam, Antwerp and Los Angeles by raw box volume.

What happens at Nador West Med?

The Royal Cabinet also confirmed that the initial phase of Nador West Med's first container terminal enters operation within the coming days. That terminal will eventually offer capacity of 3.5 million containers.

A second container terminal with 1.8 million containers of capacity follows in April 2027. Together, the two terminals represent 8 billion dirhams of private investment — matching the sum earmarked for Tanger Med 3.

Public and private investment across the wider Nador West Med port and industrial complex has already reached 54 billion dirhams. The development combines container facilities with industrial, logistics and energy infrastructure, including terminals for hydrocarbons, liquefied natural gas, dry bulk and general cargo.

The energy side is substantial. A storage zone carries potential capacity of four million cubic metres, and the planned LNG terminal will handle up to five billion cubic metres annually. For tanker and gas operators, that positions Nador as a new Mediterranean energy gateway alongside its cargo role.

The industrial zone at Nador West Med is already operational, with one factory running and three more under construction. The complex is expected to create 14,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs in the short term, anchoring Morocco's strategy of tying port capacity to manufacturing investment rather than transhipment volume alone.

How will cargo reach the quays?

New transport infrastructure backs the port build-out. The list includes the Selouane–Nador West Med railway connection, the Guercif–Nador West Med motorway and upgrades to the surrounding road network — links that will determine how quickly hinterland volumes can actually follow the new berth capacity.

For Maersk–APM, the concession deepens its footprint at a hub it already knows well through APM Terminals' existing operations at Tanger Med. For shippers, the near-term watch item is sequencing: Nador's first terminal opening within days, Tanger Med 3 construction starting shortly, and the second Nador terminal in April 2027.