RABAT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has granted Morocco's port agency (ANP) 280 thousand U.S. dollars to fund the technical development of the Vessel Traffic System (VTS), local MAP news agency reported on Monday.

    The money will go to develop the VTS in the ports of Casablanca and Safi on the Atlantic, which received 3,864 stops and treated 38 percent of the goods imported and exported in the north African country's ports in 2008.

    It will also fund a feasibility study to put in place security and surveillance systems off the ports of Casablanca and Safi, the report said.

    The donation will be used to assess and improve the operational conditions of navigation in the two ports, and examine the causes of delay of the access and exit of vessels to and from the two ports, the report added.

    The grant will help Moroccan ports take advantage of the American technology in this field, Transport Minister Karim Ghellab said at the signing ceremony of the donation.

    Moroccan ports registered 19,035 stops in 2008, and treated a total of 76.8 million tons of goods, including 41.7 million imports, 26.2 million exports and 8.9 million as transshipment traffic.