Michaël Tanchum FOKUS | 8/2020 Morocco‘s Africa-to-Europe Commercial Corridor: Gatekeeper of an emerging trans-regional strategic architecture Morocco’s West-Africa-to-Western-Europe framework of this emerging trans-regional emerging West-Africa-to-Western-Europe commercial transportation corridor is commercial architecture for years to come. commercial corridor. The November 15, redefining the geopolitical parameters of 2018 inauguration of the first segment of the global scramble for Africa and, with Morocco’s Construction of an Africa-to- the landmark high-speed line was presi- it, the strategic architecture of the Medi- Europe Corridor ded over by King Mohammed VI himself, in terranean basin. By massively expanding conjunction with French President Emma- the port capacity on its Mediterranean Situated in the northwest corner of Africa, nuel Macron.2 Seven years in construction, coast, Morocco has surpassed Spain and is fronting the Atlantic Ocean on its western the $2.3 billion line was built as a joint poised to become the dominant maritime coast and the Mediterranean Sea on its venture between France’s national railway hub in the western Mediterranean. Having northern coast, the Kingdom of Morocco company Société Nationale des Chemins constructed Africa’s first high-speed rail line, historically has been a geographical pivot de Fer Français (SNCF) and its Moroccan Morocco’s extension of the line to the Mau- for interchange between Europe, Africa, state counterpart Office National des Che- ritanian border, will transform Morocco into and the Middle East. In recent years, the mins de Fer (ONCF). Outfitted with Avelia the preeminent connectivity node in the semi-constitutional monarchy has adroitly Euroduplex high-speed trains produced nexus of commercial routes that connect combined the soft power resources of by French manufacturer Alstom, the initial West Africa to Europe and the Middle East. Morocco’s ‘triple heritage’ – Arab, African, segment of the Boraq line extends 362 km and Mediterranean – with an ambitious from Morocco’s major industrial port city While Morocco is commonly referred to modernization of its transportation and of Tangier to the country’s economic cen- as the ‘Gateway to Africa’, the country’s industrial infrastructure to remake Moroc- ter of Casablanca. Taking only 2.2 hours, program of ambitious transportation and co into the hub of a new trans-regional the high-speed train cuts the previous industrial infrastructure projects, initiated commercial architecture connecting Africa travel time by more than half. 3 by its visionary monarch King Mohammed to Europe and the Middle East. VI, has conferred upon Morocco the role The Boraq line is a component of Mo- of geopolitical gatekeeper in a new global Morocco’s largest city, Casablanca, has rocco’s ambitious Plan Rail Maroc 2040 competition for the manufacturing value already become the premiere global (PRM 2040), a massive program to chains in the West-Africa-to-Western- capital node for Africa. In conjunction with mo dernize Morocco’s railway system. Europe Corridor. As such, Morocco itself has its commercial transportation projects and Announced by King Mohammed VI in become an arena of global competition in special economic industrial zones, Mo- 2015, the PRM 2040 includes 1,500 km which China, Russia, and the Arab Gulf sta- rocco created its Casablanca Finance City of additional high-speed rails links that tes are playing increasingly significant roles. (CFC) zone to attract international finan cial have already started to form the overland firms, related professional services, and the transportation backbone of France’s Africa- Although the French-led European regional headquarters of multi-national to-Europe industrial chain.4 In June 2019, industrial manufacturing chain predomi- corporations. CFC is recognized as Africa’s French automobile manufacturer Groupe nates in Morocco, France remains bereft most important financial center by the PSA, Europe’s second largest automaker, of European partners willing to play a Global Financial Centers Index, which opened a manufacturing plant in Kénitra, strategic role in Morocco’s infrastructure ranks Casablanca among the index’s top north of Rabat, because of the Boraq high- development. This gap creates a potential 50 global financial centers.1 speed rail link to the new state-of-the-art for Beijing to exploit its expanding role Tanger Med port on Morocco’s Mediterra- in Morocco’s infrastructure development Morocco’s new high-speed rail and the emer- nean coast 40 km east of Tangier.5 to re-orient manufacturing value chains gence of Africa-to-Europe value chains in Morocco toward China’s Belt and Road Rabat’s highest strategic priority in its PRM Initiative. The configuration of Africa- Morocco’s construction of its al-Boraq 2040 railway development program is to to-Europe value chains that result from high-speed rail line – Africa’s first high- create a high-speed rail link from Tangier how Morocco manages its set of foreign speed rail transportation – has estab- to Lagouira (La Güera) in the southernmost partnerships will establish the geopolitical lished Morocco’s unrivaled position in the point of the Western Sahara region, which 1 Morocco‘s Africa-to-Europe Commercial Corridor FOKUS | 8/2020 Morocco considers its Southern Provinces.6 Morocco as a maritime hub of the Africa-to tation networks.19 On October 23rd, 2019, Running from Morocco’s Tanger Med Port Europe corridor Russian state development corporation across and down the length of the Atlantic VEB concluded a deal with Moroccan MYA coast to the Mauritanian border, the Tan- Morocco’s 2030 Strategy port plan seeks to Energy to build a petrochemical complex gier-Lagouira line will create a high-speed establish Morocco as a dominant con- and oil refinery with a target capacity of commercial transportation corridor from nectivity node in the nexus of European- 200,000 barrels per day. 20 The Russian firm the shores of the western Mediterranean African-Middle-Eastern commercial routes will locate the $2.3 billion dollar facility in to the border of West Africa. 7 that pass through the Mediterranean.13 northern Morocco and use the rail links To this end, Rabat is in the process of to the Nador Med West port to ship its A French-Moroccan joint venture, the investing upwards of $7 billion in its products. Boraq high-speed rail line is emblematic network of ports, adding a strategically of France’s traditional role as Morocco’s significant amount of container capacity Additionally, Morocco is building a $4.5 leading foreign investment partner. France on its Mediterranean coast.14 The flagship billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility provided 51 percent of the financing for project of Morocco’s effort is the Tanger at the country’s Jorf Lasfar port, located the project with Morocco providing ano- Med port15 on the country’s Mediterranean on Morocco’s Atlantic coast about 100 km ther 27 percent. The remaining 22 percent coast, approximately 40 km east of Tangier. south of Casablanca.21 The project includes of the project was financed by develop- With the opening of its new terminals in an LNG import terminal, marine jetty, gas ment funds from the United Arab Emirates late June 2019, Tanger Med became the pipeline network and a combined cycle (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.8 Along Mediterranean’s largest port, surpassing power plant with a capacity of 2,400 MW. 22 with France, the GCC nations – in particu- Spain’s Algeciras and Valencia ports in con- Already a hub for phosphate, fertilizer, and lar the UAE – have been the mainstays of tainer capacity. With the 6 million twenty- chemical production, the addition of 7 bil- foreign investment in Morocco.9 The Boraq foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity of lion cubic meters of LNG import capacity line reflects the fact that France’s main Tanger Med 2, the Tanger Med port’s total will enable Morocco to diversify its natural partners in facilitating Morocco’s transfor- container capacity stands at 9 million TEU.16 gas supply mix. Rabat has also allocated mative infrastructure development are the $1 billion for the construction of a new UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other GCC states. The state-of-the-art Tanger Med port is also port in Dakhla in the southern region of the largest in Africa and is therefore well- the Western Sahara/Southern Provinces The EU27 collectively is Morocco’s largest positioned to become a transshipment that will augment Morocco’s commercial trade partner, accounting for 55 percent of hub for the Maersk Line and its alliance reach into West Africa as well as boost the Morocco’s 2019 total bilateral trade volu- partners.17 Setting a precedent for Groupe development of trans-Atlantic trade routes me.10 When considering states individually, PSA’s 2019 opening of a manufacturing with Latin America.23 Morocco’s five largest trading partners in plant in Kénitra, Group Renault, in 2012, lo- 2019 were: Spain (18.2%), France (15.1%), cated its second Moroccan manufacturing According to Morocco’s National Port Au- China (6.9%), the U.S. (6.2%), and Italy plant in Tangier in order to benefit from the thority, Morocco’s sea ports recorded a 6.3 (5.2%).11 Despite significant trade relations, expanded Tanger Med Port and the rail link percent increase from January 1st to April particularly in the case of Spain and Italy, to it. Within five years of opening its plant, 30th, 2020 compared to the same period France’s EU27 partners have not been Renault produced its millionth vehicle. in 2019.24 The increase in the volume of leading investors in Morocco’s infrastruc- Europe’s third largest automaker presently goods transiting Morocco during the ture development, although companies sends six trainloads of Renault vehicles outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and from the other EU member states will daily from its Tangier factory to the Tanger the resulting economic slowdown demon- invest in opening their own production Med port for shipment.