Samskip has officially launched its new shortsea service connecting Agadir and Casablanca directly with the UK and the Netherlands, marking a historic moment for Moroccan exports and European trade.
The new Morocco–Europe service is designed to move cargo of all types from fresh produce to industrial materials faster, greener, and smarter, providing a true alternative to long-haul road transport. Supported by dedicated vessels, advanced reefer technology, and seamless multimodal connections across Europe, this service brings unmatched speed, reliability, and sustainability to one of the most dynamic trade corridors of our time.
“This connection marks a milestone for Samskip, as well as for the future of logistics between North Africa and Northern Europe,” said Samskip Group CEO Ólafur Orri Ólafsson. “We’ve listened closely to the needs of growers, exporters, and importers, and built a service that puts their success first, combining reliability, sustainability, and scale.”
With weekly sailings from Agadir and Casablanca to Tilbury and Rotterdam, the Samskip Morocco–Europe service connects exporters directly to more than thirty destinations across Europe. Through Rotterdam, cargo continues via Samskip’s extensive multimodal network, the largest in Europe, reaching Ireland, the UK, the Nordics, and Central Europe with one partner and one seamless logistics chain. In Agadir, the focus remains on refrigerated and frozen produce, while Casablanca now serves as the hub for a broader spectrum of exports, including automotive parts, chemicals, packaging, and construction materials. Together, the two ports form a gateway built for scale, efficiency, and long-term partnership.
To support this route, Samskip has invested in a new fleet of GPS-equipped reefer containers, including 750 forty-foot units and 250 forty-five-foot High Cube Pallet-Wide containers. Equipped with Controlled Atmosphere technology, these containers regulate oxygen, CO₂, humidity, and temperature to keep fruit and vegetables fresh for up to forty-five days ensuring Moroccan products arrive across Europe as fresh as the day they were packed.
“Every shipment represents reliability and trust,” added Ólafur. “With our advanced reefer technology and integrated customs solutions, we’re ensuring that every customer, from farmers to industrial suppliers, can trade with confidence.”
Commenting on the new service, Ross McKissock, Director of Unitised from Forth Ports, said:
“The arrival of Samskip’s Moroccan service consolidates our prime position in the reefer market for time critical produce for the country’s largest consumer market. Our facilities at LCT on the Thames provides a fast, low carbon, reliable and cost-effective alternative to trucking from Europe, showcasing the major benefits of our specialist deep-sea offering.”
By shifting from road to sea, Moroccan exporters can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to eighty percent while benefiting from a faster, more predictable service. Samskip’s in-house customs clearance and local expert teams in both Morocco and Europe ensure end-to-end simplicity, transparency, and reliability.
