Samskip launches strategic shipping route between Morocco and Northern Europe
Samskip, the global logistics company offering transport services by land, sea, rail and air, has announced the launch of a new short sea shipping route connecting the Moroccan cities of Agadir and Casablanca directly with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
This long-awaited refrigerated container service will revolutionise not only the logistics of perishable goods but the entire Moroccan agro-export sector, offering environmentally friendly solutions for transport and supply chains.
Designed specifically to meet the needs of the fresh produce sector, the new route offers the fastest door-to-door transit time on the market, providing an efficient alternative to traditional road transport for Moroccan fruit and vegetables.
The new motorway of the sea, named Moroccan Reefer Service (MRS), will connect the ports of Agadir and Casablanca directly, on a weekly basis, with Thamesport in the United Kingdom and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The fastest motorway of the sea
The launch of the new shipping line is excellent news for the Moroccan fruit and vegetable market. Thanks to the long-term agreement signed by Samskip and the Moroccan Fruit Board, the North African country will have a shorter, faster and more sustainable motorway of the sea than the existing ones.
In this regard, Samskip's commercial director, Ólafur Orri Ólafsson, said that ‘this new connection is an important milestone, not only for Samskip, but for the entire supply chain between Morocco and Northern Europe’.
According to Ólaffson, ‘we have listened to producers, importers and retailers, and we will offer a faster, greener and more reliable service. It is a clear example of what we can achieve when we combine local expertise with the strength of Europe's largest multimodal network.’
With weekly non-stop departures and a reliable, integrated door-to-door solution, the new maritime service facilitates customs operations and procedures and offers seamless land transport for perishable goods destined for major European markets.
This is the fastest container service on the market for transporting fruit and vegetables, setting a new benchmark in fresh produce logistics between North Africa and Europe and making Morocco a recognised expert in the region in this area of trade and export.
For Moroccan producers and exporters, this means being able to deliver to Ireland in just six days from departure from Agadir, or rapid distribution to Norway, Poland, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic countries from the port of Rotterdam, thanks to the transhipment and cross-docking capabilities of the Samskip network.
Given its compatibility with 45-foot refrigerated containers, equivalent in capacity to conventional road trailers, the new shipping line guarantees seamless logistics continuity.
Emissions reduction and sustainable logistics
As part of the European drive to green logistics chains, shifting a significant portion of freight transport from road to sea is a giant step towards sustainability and carbon emissions reduction in the fruit and vegetable trade, in terms of imports and exports between Morocco and Northern Europe.
This refrigerated line is part of a broader modal shift strategy promoted by the Samskip group, which is working hard to develop its rail and maritime solutions in order to meet growing demands in terms of environmental responsibility.
The new refrigerated container route offers a number of advantages to the market:
- Short sea service specifically for perishable Moroccan products.
- A weekly direct departure to the south of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (Rotterdam).
- Faster transit times than other container alternatives.
- Compatible with 45-foot refrigerated containers, equivalent to the capacity of standard trailers.
- Up to 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to road transport.
- An initiative that could inspire the entire agro-export sector.
- Fresher, faster and more sustainable logistics from North Africa.
- A smooth and efficient flow of goods to the heart of European retail markets
Given the continued increase in demand for green, cost-effective and reliable logistics services, the launch of this new shipping route reflects Samskip's broader growth strategy and internationally recognised leadership in modal shift logistics, transforming freight from congested roads to more sustainable rail and sea solutions.
