‘Morocco is a strategic logistics hub for access to the entire European market’

Pablo Bengoa Crespo, Head of Project Transformation at DHL Supply Chain Spain, spoke to Atalayar, as part of the 11th edition of the Spanish-Moroccan Business Meeting organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tangier, about his experience working in Morocco and the importance of this country as an international logistics centre. 

What services does DHL Supply Chain Spain offer? 

DHL is number one worldwide in its four divisions: E-commerce, Global Forwarding Freight, Express and Supply Chain. 

The E-commerce division comes from the former Deutsche Post, which is the former German postal operator, which still exists but has evolved and developed. 

The Global Forwarding Freight division is responsible for sea and land transport, while the Express division is responsible for express air transport, which is our strongest division. The Supply Chain division is responsible for storage and distribution, both nationally and internationally. 

Which sectors in Morocco are attractive for the company's future projects? 

We have been working in Morocco for many years with the Global Forwarding Freight and Express divisions, and we are now extending our offering within the Moroccan market to the Supply Chain division for storage and distribution.

Morocco has an excellent bilateral relationship with the United States, the world's number one power, and is considered a strategic gateway to Europe and a strong growth hub in Africa. The country also enjoys a great relationship with both the Chinese government and Chinese companies. There are many opportunities in Morocco and we would like to establish relations with the Ministry of Industry so that we can perhaps opt for a global project or investment within the country. 

On the other hand, the automotive sector is one of the most attractive. We have extensive experience in supplying production lines, where we also rely on external warehouses. We have a wealth of experience with all the major brands around the world. In this regard, the battery and textile sectors are particularly attractive to the company. 

How do you view the sectoral and industrial evolution of Morocco in recent years?

The company was clear about the potential and current business volume in Morocco, but in the last five years, since COVID, there have been significant growth forecasts in key sectors where DHL specialises. After COVID, many companies emerged that are already positioning themselves close to European markets and have seen Morocco as a strategic logistics hub for entry into the entire European market and an accessible gateway to the development that the whole of Africa is experiencing.

The country has liberalisation policies, tax benefits with the New Investment Charter, and is a free market with multiple agreements to operate seamlessly on any other continent, with relatively lower costs, which make it very attractive. In a way, all multinational companies are looking at Morocco.

At the same time, the country has a different human capital to that in Europe, with everything that needs to be improved and that the government is trying to do in terms of schooling and vocational training. The qualifications are very similar to those in Europe, and people speak three or four languages, which is not the case in Europe.

How does the collaboration of services to connect Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom and the Middle East work? 

Indeed, DHL connects Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom and the Middle East through its global logistics network; it is also investing in the region to expand its services, including improving infrastructure and collaborating with partners to facilitate e-commerce and supply chains. We have international intermodal logistics flows, offer the most competitive costs and are committed to reducing our carbon footprint. 

What can you tell us about the company's commitment to sustainability and achieving zero emissions by 2050?

When it comes to decarbonisation and sustainability, what we try to do is send a product from point A to point B with visibility, traceability and the lowest possible carbon footprint. This represents added value for the company and sets its service apart from its competitors.

We also leverage the experience and solutions we have accumulated in the American market and test them in other countries around the world. Ultimately, that customer feels very comfortable because they already know what we are doing elsewhere. DHL knows that Morocco effectively has a different solution, has visibility, and we have the guarantee that the service will be similar with all the high quality standards.

As for the 2050 vision, our goal is to have zero carbon footprints. When that goal was set, we already had some very strong previous goals, knowing that this was something mandatory. 

We are one of the first companies to start using electric aircraft, and one of our service objectives is to provide a sustainable solution, i.e. to give the customer a choice. Obviously, the costs are still somewhat higher. However, there are times when the solution cannot be 100% sustainable, which is why intermodal transport will be able to reduce that carbon footprint while maintaining good delivery times and more competitive costs.