Hub, corridor or platform? Morocco’s new place in global value chains

Is Morocco a hub, a logistical corridor or an industrial platform? For expert Abdelaziz Mantrach, the Kingdom is now “a strategic combination of all three”, a complementarity that constitutes its main strength.

Long perceived as a mere corridor, Morocco is now positioning itself, according to him, as an integrated global industrial and logistics platform, driven in particular by the rise of Tanger Med, which handled more than 11 million containers in 2025.

“What is interesting is that Morocco is no longer merely selling its geographical position. Through a rare combination of modern port infrastructure, integrated industrial zones, free-trade agreements, political stability and strategic vision, it is gradually managing to demonstrate its industrial rise,” he said, describing Morocco’s growing position in global trade flows during the first day of the 4th International Chemistry Forum (FIC 2026), held on May 13, 2026, in Rabat.In Morocco, investors are no longer coming for a port, but for a regional production and distribution platform

“When we see international groups investing heavily in Tanger Med, particularly in the automotive, electronics and logistics sectors, it shows that investors are no longer just looking for a port, but for a regional production and distribution platform,” he stressed.

“More than twenty German companies are already established in the Tanger Med ecosystem, with over 3 billion DH in investments and thousands of jobs created. This confirms that Morocco is integrated into global value chains.”

Abdelaziz Mantrach added: “The most recent signals are extremely revealing. Look at the growing interest from Chinese groups, which are choosing to make Morocco an industrial base intended in particular for exports to Africa. Major global industrial players are now looking for platforms that are closer, more resilient to geopolitical tensions and capable of ensuring continuity in supply chains.”

“Morocco is thus becoming a strategic industrial platform in the new global geography of value chains. This model of industrial acceleration zones should be replicated through projects such as Nador West Med, Safi Atlantique, where OCP is making major investments, as well as Dakhla Atlantique.”

Tanger Med naturally emerges as a strategic alternative

“Tensions around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, disruptions in the Red Sea, the war in Ukraine and disruptions in the Black Sea are completely reshaping global trade routes. Shipowners are now looking for safer, more resilient and more predictable routes. Several major international shipping companies are therefore beginning to bypass certain areas of tension by routing more traffic through Africa and the Atlantic,” the vice-president of ASMEX also stressed. It is in this context that “Tanger Med naturally emerges as a strategic alternative.”

“These geopolitical crises now also have consequences that go beyond logistics. They affect citizens’ daily lives, as tensions on maritime routes drive up transport, energy, raw material and industrial production costs. Food inflation, rising energy prices and pressure on everyday consumer goods are thus contributing to the rising cost of living worldwide.”

“All this is a reminder of how strategic the global supply chain has become, and how deeply it is linked to economic and social stability. And it is in this context that Morocco will play a major role, both in terms of stability and connectivity.”

“Morocco is today a maritime hub, a strategic corridor and is gradually becoming a truly integrated global platform. This is the major transformation currently taking place in the Kingdom,” he concluded.