Morocco comes into play following Algeria's decision to halt trade with Spain in response to Spain's decision to support Morocco's proposal for broad autonomy for Western Sahara under the sovereignty of the Alawi kingdom.
The shipping company OCMIS intends for the new line from Cartagena, Murcia region, to reach Morocco with the intention of bridging Spain's trade problems with the Algerian nation.
Last Monday, the first ship, and possibly the last OCMIS ship, according to shipowner Ali Halibi, set sail on a new line linking Cartagena with Algeria. A route which, after the breakdown of relations between the African country and Spain, has forced the shipping company to look for new routes.
Awaiting a definitive decision from Algeria, a second shipment could take place in two weeks, as long as the borders are not definitively closed. While the first shipment carried 3,000 tonnes of wood, this one will carry cement, roof tiles and also wood.
Faced with this situation of uncertainty, the Lebanese shipping company has devised new strategies to ensure that the 600,000 tonnes of goods it has spread throughout the Spanish Levant reach their destination.
OCMIS had considered other options in our country, such as Gandía, Alicante or Castellón, but finally opted for Cartagena, because the tariffs are cheaper, so it pays less per cargo and it is an uncongested port.
Morocco thus strengthens its commercial ties with Spain, something which further boosts its economy after the recent announcement of a future maritime line with Saudi Arabia.
