Overall port traffic decreases by 7.2% in january-february 2002

The overall traffic in Moroccan ports decreased by 7.2% during he first two months of 2002, going down 9.6 million tons.

The regress is caused by a decrease of imports of oil, cereals, fertilizers, sulfur and coal, said the equipment ministry in its monthly newsletter.

Exportations (4.4 million tons of the overall port traffic) decreased by 2.4%, compared to the same period the previous year.

The decrease is due to a drop of exports of phosphates (-13%) and fertilizers (-6.6%).

The volume of sea products having transited through Moroccan ports went up to 18,688 tons by the end of February 2002, for a commercial value of 106 million Dirhams (US $92 Mln).