Carriers are moving some Mediterranean relay calls from Algeciras to Tanger Med as EU ETS costs reshape network economics. The change can affect feeder connections, transit times and the tracking gaps surrounding transshipment.
Algeciras, carbon surcharge, EU ETS, Mediterranean shipping, Tanger Med, Transshipment
A trade report on 3 August said carriers are beginning to shift some container calls away from Algeciras toward Tanger Med to reduce exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System. If you move boxes through the Strait of Gibraltar, that raises a practical question about your own routing.
The answer has less to do with your invoice than the framing suggests. A rule adopted in 2023 already means a Tanger Med call does not count when the start and end points of an ETS voyage are worked out. What the hub swap changes is the emissions treatment of the vessels and port calls involved, where your container physically sits, and how much you can see while it sits there.
What EU ETS Covers on a Mediterranean Leg
The system is voyage-based and flag-neutral. What matters is each ship’s previous and next qualifying ports of call, not who owns or registers the ship and not the container’s complete door-to-door itinerary. (....)