DP World becomes the second shipping line to support Morocco’s fresh-produce sector.
by Blue Africa News
As Morocco continues to ramp up its fruit and vegetable production, major global shipping lines are stepping in to support the north Africa nation’s booming fresh-produce export by launching dedicated sea routes to key markets across Europe and beyond.
Morocco, recent data shows, is one of the Mediterranean region’s top fruit and vegetable producers, with exports increasing fivefold by 120 percent in volume and in value, between 2005 and 2023.
Currently, Morocco exports over 6 million metric tonnes of fruit and vegetables to Western Europe annually, with an upward trend of more than 20 percent year-on-year.
The United Kingdom (UK), Netherlands, France and Spain account for over 60 percent of Morocco’s exports, establishing it as a major export country in the region.
DP World, the Dubai based multinational logistics company is the latest to join Morocco’s booming fresh produce sector, by launching a sea route to the UK and Europe.
The maiden service bound for DP World owned terminals, London Gateway, will be on November 30, 2025 for the UK while the Antwerp, Netherlands Gateway will be on December 01. The Antwerp gateway services the rest of Europe.
Christened the Atlas service, the weekly sailing will mark a major step forward in Morocco’s sustainable logistics.
“This tailor-made solution combines speed, reliability and digital transparency to deliver better quality produce to retailers and consumers, while helping our customers meet climate goals,” said Claus Larner, Vice President, Perishables, at DP World.
Larner said they are on a mission to shift up to 150,000 tonnes of fresh produce from road to sea annually, offering “a scalable, sustainable logistics solution that reduces emissions by up to 250kg carbon dioxide emissions per 1 metric ton of freight.”
Tomato, pepper and blue-berry growers are expected to reap big as the new route promises reduced export times for fresh produce, hence improving quality.
Each weekly sailing will transport tomatoes, blueberries, peppers and citrus from Morocco’s key growing regions to UK and EU retail networks.
A state-of-the-art digital platform offering end-to-end supply chain transparency is among investments factored in by the company, ahead of the maiden trip. The southbound service will sail from the London gateway to Antwerp gateway, on to Casablanca and back to Agadir.
DP World becomes the second shipping line to launch a sea route from Morocco to Europe and the UK in a span of months.
In August, Samskip, one of Europe’s largest transport and logistics companies, launched the Moroccan Reefer Service (MRS), a new shortsea container route currently connecting Agadir and Casablanca directly with the UK and the Netherlands, ensuring smooth and efficient cargo flows into European retail markets.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News