# Nouadhibou (MR NDB)

**UN/LOCODE:** MR NDB  
**Country:** Mauritania  
**Water Body:** North Atlantic Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Medium  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Natural)  
**GPS:** 20.9167, -17.0500

Mining and fishing define Nouadhibou, Mauritania's northern Atlantic port (UN/LOCODE MR NDB), far more than any container trade: roughly 11 million tonnes of iron ore pass through each year. The ore is railed in from the Zouérat mines on trains up to three kilometres long and loaded at the dedicated mineral terminal at Point Central, about 15 km south of the city. After a channel deepening completed in 2024, the ore port can take vessels of up to around 230,000 tonnes, while a railway modernisation co-funded by the African Development Bank in 2024 (about US$150 million) aims to double transport capacity by 2030. The city port keeps two general-cargo berths and a substantial fishing terminal; frozen fish, molluscs, copper and gold rank among the leading exports, with raw sugar, wheat, petroleum and textiles dominating imports. Container shipping is minor and not confirmed as a liner hub, though the Nouadhibou Free Zone aims to broaden activity beyond ore and fish. For containerised cargo to Mauritania, the port of Nouakchott (Port de l'Amitié) is the more practical gateway.

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/nouadhibou-port-mr-ndb](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/nouadhibou-port-mr-ndb)*

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*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/nouadhibou-port-mr-ndb/llm-summary?lang=en*