France has announced the launch of the international G7+ Ports Network, bringing together 14 major seaports to combat drug smuggling along global transport routes.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the news. The initiative was officially presented on 9 November 2026 during the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris (9–10 November). The network’s first meeting was held in Marseille.
The G7+ Ports Network to Combat Drug Trafficking connects port authorities, customs services and law-enforcement agencies. It includes the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States), as well as Brazil and South Korea. Participating organisations include Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
Ports involved in the launch include the French ports of Marseille, Le Havre, Dunkirk and Martinique, Hamburg (Germany), Genoa and Gioia Tauro (Italy), Busan (South Korea), Houston (United States) and London Gateway (United Kingdom).
The main objective is to improve intelligence sharing, operational cooperation and the identification of trafficking routes across the entire supply chain — from production and transit countries to destination markets. Particular attention is paid to detecting containers used by criminal organisations and coordinating the work of maritime, customs and law-enforcement authorities.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the network will use tools, including artificial intelligence, to track suspicious cargoes and strengthen connections between ports. According to him, around 70% of drugs entering France and Europe as a whole arrive through ports. “There is a port of departure and a port of arrival. By coordinating the actions of ports, we will be able to curb this threat,” he emphasised.
