EU Emissions Rule Could Shift Billions in Freight Traffic from Spanish Ports to Morocco

Port managers agree with the ecological transition required by Brussels, but want to avoid losing freight traffic to Moroccan ports that are exempt from the application of taxes and have cheaper labor, allowing them to be more flexible with their rates. This is why the Spanish Chamber of Commerce’s port commission asked the European Union on Monday to reformulate the directive on emission trading markets in its application to maritime transport.

This new tax came into effect on January 1st and will be gradually implemented until 2026. Thus, ships wishing to dock in European ports will have to pay for the fuel they consume during their voyage. This year, they will pay 20% of their consumption and 100% in 2026, if the measure is not revised. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the application of the regulation could lead to "the transfer of part of the European supply chain to third countries, limiting maritime routes and frequencies".

For example, Algeciras’ traffic will be recovered by Tanger Med, which in recent years has already taken control of traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar. Ships already preferred the Moroccan port due to the distance between the two points of barely 30 km and much lower costs. The risk is therefore high that shipping companies will rush even more towards the Moroccan port to avoid this new tax, leading to "billions in losses and destroying thousands of jobs for Spanish ports".

This tax can also lead to a transfer of maritime transport flows towards land transport flows. In Spain, 60% of exports and 85% of imports are carried out by sea. If part of maritime traffic comes to land traffic, this will generate a greater volume of CO2 emissions, which is contrary to the objectives of European policy. Spanish ports will have to halve their CO2 emissions by 2030.