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Starting February 24, Maersk will reroute its ships on the U.S.-Middle East-India line to dock at Tangier Med port instead of Algeciras, a move that has stirred discontent in Spain. The Danish shipping giant has since sought to allay concerns.
In a statement to an Iberian media outlet on January 14, Maersk cited «commercial reasons» for choosing Tangier, while reaffirming that Algeciras «remains a strategic priority». The company emphasized that the Andalusian port will continue to play a significant role, especially after the recent commercial agreement with Hapag-Lloyd, which aims to transport 3.4 million containers.
The Spanish media noted that Maersk has been praising Tangier's modern, semi-automated facilities in recent months. It also highlighted that Algeciras, along with Barcelona, faces «high levels of density», which hampers transshipment operations. Maersk diplomatically acknowledged the «professionalism and experience» of the Algeciras team and its importance as a key transshipment hub.
The decision also allows Maersk to circumvent the European Union's new carbon trading scheme, which imposes taxes on shipping companies docking at EU ports. Since the scheme's implementation in 2024, companies must report emissions by March 31 annually. By 2025, ships will pay for 40% of their 2024 emissions, increasing to 70% in 2026 and 100% in 2027.
