Marruecos y Reino Unido lanzan una ruta marítima entre Tánger y Poole

Since Brexit, collaboration between Morocco and the UK has increased significantly in sectors such as trade, military cooperation and renewable energy. British tourism to the Arab country has also increased in recent years.

One of the foundations of this bilateral partnership is the trade agreement between Rabat and London signed on 26 October 2019 by Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Andrew Murrison, in charge of International Development in North Africa and the Middle East. This pact entered into force in January 2021 and, since then, cooperation between the two countries has strengthened considerably.

Proof that this treaty is fostering relations between the two countries is the inauguration of a new maritime connection between Tangier Med and the southern British city of Poole. The route will be operational by the end of September and will allow Morocco to export its products to the UK in less than three days, compared to the six days it takes by land. In addition, London will avoid additional Brexit-related costs on roads. 

At the beginning of August, Simon Martin, the British ambassador in Rabat, announced this maritime line, the first between the two kingdoms. It will run once a week and will be managed by United Seaways. Martin assured that the journey will be "faster and cheaper", while traffic between the ports is expected to exceed half a million containers a year.

Although the route is initially reserved exclusively for freight, the ambassador did not rule out the transport of tourists in time. "I think there will be a great demand for passenger services, not just cargo", the ambassador affirmed. This maritime connection could alleviate the effects of the severe supply crisis the UK is facing as a result of leaving the EU. Most supermarkets have experienced shortages of products such as fruit and vegetables. The shortages have also affected restaurant chains such as McDonald's, KFC and Nando's.

For the time being, refrigerated vehicles will be moved with products such as fruit and vegetables, foodstuffs that make up the majority of Moroccan exports to the UK. However, these sales remain low compared to exports from some EU countries. British importers spent £180 million on fresh produce from Morocco last year, while imports with Spain amounted to almost £1.8 billion.

Morocco's imports from the UK include gas, automobiles, aircraft parts and refined oil, reports Simon Martin. 

This new route could also have benefits in other areas. "In this new dynamic, sub-Saharan traffic will increase considerably. The port of Dakhla will play an important role", declares Younes Lamarti, Director General of Bolloré Transport & Logistics Maroc, to Bladi. Lamarti also underlines the importance that the Alaouite kingdom will have at regional level. "Morocco could become the port hub for all goods arriving from the countries of the North to the South, and vice versa," he adds.

The good economic and trade relations between Morocco and the UK could also extend to the political sphere. As Ahmed Faozi, former ambassador and international relations expert, points out, "the British will sooner or later recognise the integrity of Moroccan territory". 

"Several clues corroborate a stronger rapprochement between the Kingdom of Morocco and the UK. This rapprochement could probably culminate in the British aligning themselves with the positions of countries that recognise the integrity of Moroccan territory", Faozi explains. Recently, the state-owned BBC modified a map of Morocco by removing the line separating the Kingdom from the desert. This detail has been seen in Moroccan media as a clear allusion to possible British recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.

Aziz Akhannouch of the National Rally for Independents won Morocco's recent elections. King Mohammed VI subsequently appointed him as president of the government and tasked him with forming the new executive. On election day, a British diplomatic delegation was among the international election observers. 

Once the count was over, the British Embassy congratulated the country on the success of the democratic process and expressed its satisfaction at participating as an observer. It also assured that it would work with the new government, led by Akhannouch.

"The post-Brexit partnership with Morocco is vital, and we aim to fully develop this historic cooperation to the benefit of both countries," said the British Department for International Trade in Morocco.