The African Exponent platform listed Morocco as the tenth largest merchant fleet in Africa for 2026, with a total merchant fleet estimated at 94 ships.
The platform's report stated that while the Moroccan fleet is relatively modest, Morocco's maritime influence is built upon its logistics network. Morocco's merchandise trade reached approximately $120.9 million, while revenues from transport services amounted to $42.3 million, reflecting the shipping sector's connection to international trade rather than its reliance solely on the number of vessels.
The report added that port infrastructure reinforces this position, noting that Morocco handled 9.96 million TEUs in 2024, the highest among the countries included in the ranking. It pointed out that the Tangier Med port is connected to more than 180 ports in over 70 countries and supports an industrial ecosystem comprising more than 1,400 companies, demonstrating how port connectivity and industrial integration have outweighed the importance of fleet size alone.
Liberia topped the list with a fleet of over 4,000 vessels, thanks to an open ship registry that includes more than 5,000 ships flying the Liberian flag with a tonnage exceeding 408 million tons. Nigeria came in second with a total of 928 ships, placing it 21st globally, thanks to its maritime location and local shipping infrastructure. Other countries included in the ranking were Cameroon, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone.
The African Exponent concluded that the continent's strongest merchant fleets form the backbone of trade, logistics, and supply chains, emphasizing that maritime competitiveness is built across multiple avenues: open ship registries, trade traffic, strong port infrastructure, industrial exports, and regional logistics networks. The platform affirmed that factors such as cargo handling volume, local shipping capacity, transport services, and ongoing port investment are the crucial drivers of this competitiveness.
