Exporting from Morocco to the United States will cost up to 500 dollars more per container

Shipping Moroccan goods to the United States will cost more with CMA CGM. The French shipping company will apply a new increase to all affected shipments leaving Moroccan ports from September 15, 2026.

The measure takes the form of a “rate restoration initiative.” According to the tariff notice published by CMA CGM, an additional 250 dollars will be charged for each 20-foot container.

The surcharge will reach 500 dollars for 40-foot containers, High Cube models of the same length, and 45-foot containers. This amount will be added to the basic transportation price, as well as any potential costs related to fuel, port handling, security, or local fees.

On Bladi.net : article 123113

Morocco is not the only country concerned. The new rate schedule will apply to departures from the entire western Mediterranean, notably Italy, France, and the Spanish ports of Valencia, Barcelona, and Algeciras.

For Moroccan exporters using CMA CGM services, the increase will cover shipments bound for the three American maritime fronts: the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the West Coast. Goods continuing inland into the United States from these ports are also included.

The company specifies that all types of goods are concerned, with the exception of oversized cargo. Agricultural, textile, or industrial products transported in standard containers may therefore be subject to this increase.

A second additional cost for Moroccan products

This increase in freight costs comes at a time that is already less favorable for Moroccan companies. Since July 24, Washington has imposed a 12.5% surcharge on a large share of goods originating from Morocco.

US authorities adopted this sanction because they consider Morocco’s mechanisms for blocking the entry of products made through forced labor to be insufficient. They do not directly accuse the Kingdom’s companies of resorting to such practices, but the tax nevertheless affects their sales in the United States.

For products affected by both measures, the increase in cost therefore becomes twofold. US customs duties raise their price upon arrival, while CMA CGM’s new rate schedule increases their transportation costs as soon as they leave Morocco.

A 500-dollar increase remains relatively small when spread across a high-value shipment. It may, however, weigh more heavily on bulky, low-cost goods or those sold with low margins. The impact will also depend on the exporter’s ability to pass the expense on to its US customer.

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Trade between the two countries reached 7.39 billion dollars in 2025, including 1.86 billion in Moroccan sales to the United States. The Kingdom therefore remains largely in deficit in its trade with the US market.

Morocco nevertheless has had a free-trade agreement with the United States since 2006. It had gradually eliminated most customs duties, but the new US taxes and the increase in freight costs are now reducing part of this advantage.