The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) and the port community will start tomorrow, October 15, a commercial mission to Senegal and Mauritania, which will last until next Sunday the 18th, with the aim of identifying new business opportunities and establishing contacts with maritime and logistics operators from both countries. The initiative is part of the international promotion program of the Port of Algeciras to expand its commercial activity in West Africa and capture traffic linked to the Atlantic corridor that connects the African continent with Europe via the Strait of Gibraltar.
The expedition materializes one of the actions announced by the APBA at the beginning of the year, when its president, Gerardo Landaluce, confirmed that Mauritania and Senegal would be part of the destinations for the commercial actions planned for 2026. The port institution identified both markets at that time as areas of interest due to their relationship with the flows of goods transport that traverse the Atlantic coast of Africa and use the maritime connections between Morocco and southern Spain.
The mission, scheduled from October 15 to 18, includes institutional contacts and business meetings to present the logistical capabilities of the Port of Algeciras and understand the needs of the operators conducting their activities in these countries. Among the sectors targeted are shipping agents, freight forwarders, refrigerated logistics operators, port service providers, and companies specialized in provisioning.
The commercial program provides for bilateral meetings with business and logistics representatives to examine opportunities related to regular maritime transport, the import and export of goods, ship services, and technical cooperation. The initiative also includes identifying possible commercial partners and establishing contacts for future actions.
Senegal and Mauritania are part of the land and maritime corridor that connects West Africa with Europe, in which road transport plays a role in the movement of goods to the north of the continent. A portion of these flows crosses Morocco to reach the port of Tangier Med, from where it uses roll-on/roll-off shipping services to Algeciras. The route also operates in the opposite direction for the transport of European goods to African markets.
This logistical relationship was one of the arguments presented by Landaluce during the presentation of the port activity report for 2025, when he confirmed the APBA's intention to extend its commercial actions to Senegal and Mauritania.
«Traffic through the Strait is logically related to Ceuta, but especially with Morocco. But we are not only talking about Morocco, we are also talking about Mauritania and Senegal», the president of the Port Authority explained at that time.
Landaluce pointed out that there are roll-on/roll-off transport operations that connect these countries with the Strait via land and maritime routes. «There are roll-on/roll-off traffic that make that entire journey and then take the Strait option through Tangier Med and Algeciras, and vice versa», he indicated.
The commercial mission is taking place in a context of growth of the goods transported in trucks and trailers through the connections of the Port of Algeciras. According to the data corresponding to the end of 2025, the port recorded 527,108 intermodal transport units in roll-on/roll-off traffic, 4.2% more than the previous year.
Within this activity, the maritime corridor with Tangier Med concentrated nearly half a million units, with a year-on-year increase of 5%. This connection constitutes one of the main routes for the exchange of goods between Europe and North Africa and allows for continuity to land routes that reach Morocco from other countries on the continent.
During the presentation of those results, the APBA also proposed a scenario in which the movement of trucks and trailers through the Strait could reach 800,000 annual units in the coming years. This estimate is part of the growth forecasts that the port institution has for planning its infrastructure and services.
In parallel to commercial activity, the Port Authority is undertaking actions aimed at adapting the facilities of the Port of Algeciras to the needs of roll-on/roll-off traffic. Among them is the Hercules Plan, with an investment of over 200 million euros, which includes the expansion of the Galera dock and the reorganization of access and internal roadways.
The expansion of the Galera dock, which was scheduled for completion in early 2027, includes the incorporation of two new ramps intended for roll-on/roll-off operations. These actions are related to the capacity to serve ships and to the organization of industrial vehicle movements within the port area.
Regarding the destination markets of the mission, Senegal presents opportunities related to maritime and logistics activities around the Port of Dakar, while in Mauritania the commercial program pays attention to port activities linked to its energy and fishing sectors. The expedition will allow maintaining contacts with companies and entities related to these activities and understanding their transportation and service needs.
The mission to Senegal and Mauritania is also included in the new Agenda of the Digital Strait Sector, which gathers information on fairs, congresses, professional days, and commercial missions in the maritime, port, and logistics sector. The tool includes a specific sheet for this expedition, with the dates, destinations, and main objectives of the commercial activity.
The departure of the delegation occurs nine months after the APBA announced its intention to broaden its promotional actions toward these two African markets. During the scheduled days until October 18, the port institution and participating companies will focus their activity on establishing commercial relationships, presenting the services available in the Bay of Algeciras, and identifying possible goods flows between West Africa and Europe.
