Regional consultations on the development of Morocco’s foreign trade roadmap for 2025-2026 resulted in a total of 524 proposals.
Omar Hejira, Secretary of State to the Minister of Industry and Trade, in charge of Foreign Trade, announced the news during a session at the House of Representatives on Monday.
Responding to questions on the subject during the parliamentary session, Hejira said that 80 percent of the submissions come from regional stakeholders and the remaining 20 percent (113 proposals) come from the central government.
These proposals are deployed strategically to target the areas of intervention necessary for the expansion of the field, he explained.
Most of these measures involve strengthening competitiveness, simplifying administrative procedures, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, diversifying export markets, particularly in Africa, and strengthening the resilience of the export sector.
Referring to Morocco’s sectoral specificities, Hejira indicated that six key industries account for 92 percent of Moroccan exports: automotive (34.4 percent), agriculture and food industries (19.3 percent), phosphates and derivatives (17.8 percent), leather products (10.7%), aviation (5.3 percent) and electronics (4.3 percent).
The minister also noted that the consultations brought together more than 1,200 participants in less than a month and represented a wide range of stakeholders from the regional and central levels such as the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), sectoral federations and some leaders of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services.
Another salient point raised by the Minister during the session is that 85 percent of Moroccan exports are concentrated in only three regions. This result underlines the need for a more balanced approach to economic development across the country to avoid any kind of unnecessary or unfavorable disparities.
Hejira noted that Moroccan exports reached 430 billion dirhams in 2023, while imports amounted to 716 billion dirhams, and that improving the trade deficit will require more concerted efforts to reinvigorate the export sector.
Furthermore, the Minister stressed that the European market continues to propel Moroccan exports, with 70 percent of goods going to Europe, particularly Spain and France, which together account for almost half of the total. In another positive development for Morocco, the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) reached 16.3 billion dirhams (about $1.6 billion) in the first nine months of 2024, marking a significant increase of 50.7 percent year-on-year.
Announcing the growth during a parliamentary session in November, Prime Minister Akhannouch attributed it to Morocco’s new investment charter and recent efforts to position the country as a regional leader in high-value industries.
MK/ac/fss/as/APA