Tunisia launches a trade line with Libya and Morocco via a sea port

The new cruise line will start operating at the beginning of March 2024, providing two cruises to each destination every month.

Al Arab London – Tunisia is seeking to solve the dilemmas associated with the weak maritime transport network to enhance trade exchange between it and countries in the Mediterranean basin, at a time when the country is witnessing one of its worst economic crises.

The Commercial Marine and Ports Office is preparing to launch a new sea line with Libya, Morocco and Spain through the commercial port of Sfax in the south of the country, in an effort to increase foreign trade and facilitate the rapid arrival of goods and merchandise to the markets of these countries.

The authorized maritime agent for the new line, Malek Al-Alawi, confirmed to the official Tunisian News Agency that all administrative and logistical arrangements and issues are in their final stages, with the official opening scheduled for next March.

Percent contribution of the Tunisian naval fleet, which consists of only 8 commercial ships, in transporting foreign trade

He said in his statements, “In addition to the competitive prices, the line is distinguished by the short duration of the ship’s journey to reach these destinations.”

According to Al-Alawi, the trip to Morocco takes only four days and to Spain six days, with two flights a month available from the port of Sfax, which was built in 1985 and then expanded in 1996 and includes 15 berths.

The maritime transport and ports sector plays an important role in transporting Tunisian exports and imports, as it ensures the transport of 98 percent of Tunisia’s foreign trade exchanges through 7 commercial sea ports.

The port of Sfax is considered one of the active commercial maritime gateways, along with the ports of Rades in the capital, Tunis, Menzel Bourguiba in the state (province) of Bizerte in the north of the country, and Zarzis in the south of the country, but it needs to develop handling operations to enhance its activity.

Tunisia lacks a new generation port, in addition to the lack of development of port infrastructure. The delayed completion of the deep-water port in Enfidha, south of the capital, contributed to the state’s inability to keep up with competition in the region.

Countries in the Mediterranean basin have many large ports, perhaps the most prominent of which is the port of Tangier-Med, which is considered one of the most active due to its strategic location linking East and West.

Figures indicate that the contribution of Tunisia’s maritime fleet, which consists of only 8 commercial ships, in transporting foreign trade does not exceed 11 percent currently, compared to a rate of up to 28 percent in 1992.

Tunisia is betting on reviving the logistics sector, despite its unprecedented decline in recent years, through a strategy to develop infrastructure and means of transportation to enhance the business climate and drive growth, despite the daunting challenges facing the implementation of the plan.

The sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product does not exceed 4.5 percent, according to official estimates, while before 2011 it constituted more than 9 percent.

The latest report issued by the Kuwaiti Logistics Group Agility in partnership with Transport Intelligence earlier this month on African emerging markets ranked Tunisia in 37th place in the performance of the logistics sector.

According to the report, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa are at the forefront of the continent in the field of logistics services, based on a set of criteria, including the opportunities available locally and internationally, the business climate, and readiness for digital transformation.

Last October, Sfax Port Director Nabil Karoui confirmed that the port was logistically and infrastructurally ready to receive sea tourism trips, especially since it had previously received such trips.

His statements came shortly before the port received a flight coming from the American state of Miami with 1,200 tourists on board, indicating that work is continuing to bring in other flights in the future.