Country profile Morocco

In 1999, King Mohammed VI ascended the throne. He started a new era for development by stabilising the economy. He supported large infrastructure projects (Tangier Med Port, Highways, National Social Housing Strategy) and launched major industrial development strategies (automotive, aeronautics). In 2009, the country experienced major economic impact of the global economic crisis. However, from 2015, the country repositioned itself as a hub for FDI and as a gateway to Africa with growth rates ranging from 3 to 4 % per annum.

Morocco is often seen as a gateway to Africa and a hub for foreign direct investment. Just recently, Orange Telecom, a multinational telecommunications corporation, opened its Africa and Middle East Headquarters in Casablanca. The Moroccan government is emphasising on this geostrategic position to attract investment and established the Casablanca Finance City (CFC) in 2010. The CFC is mandated to attract companies to establish their operations in Morocco and to make use of Morocco’s political stability and favourable geostrategic position between Europe and Africa as a base for expanding their operations in Sub-Sahara Africa. Setting up business operations in the CFC provides fiscal benefits such as a tax drop to 0 percent in the first years. In addition, the CFC confers legal facilitations, tax incentives and exchange facilities.

Morocco is the world’s largest producer of phosphate but is seeking to increase more underdeveloped segments of mining. Phosphate is mainly used for agricultural fertiliser which is also one of Morocco’s export products. In total, Morocco is exporting 1.7. billion US Dollars worth of mineral and chemical fertilisers.

Morocco’s fashion and textile’s sector are also growing, with increasing exports of women and men’s knit wear and becoming a more attractive sourcing option when looking at rising (labour) prices in Asia, proximity and the need for quality and sustainable production processes.

Export of tomatoes (during winter period), beans, sweet peppers, avocado, pumpkin, olives, onion, cucumber, potato, strawberries (soft and red fruit), peaches, mandarins (citrus fruits in general), melons, grapes, almonds, dates.

Tomatoes: Growing tomatoes in Morocco provides a business opportunity for Dutch growers, enabling them to supply to the EU in the wintertime, complementing European production. Main tomato growing areas are Agadir, Guilmim, Safi and Dahka. Next to export to the EU, export to other African countries also provides business opportunities. Besides opportunities for growers, the horticultural (export) sector in Morocco is an interesting market for Dutch horticultural suppliers: greenhouse suppliers, seed breeders, suppliers of (smart) irrigation, (solar powered) pumps etc.

Morocco exports over 140.000 tons of soft fruit, of which 40% is red fruit (90% is exported to EU countries), varying from strawberries, raspberries and red cranberries. In addition, Morocco is a market leader in frozen strawberries. 20% of EU frozen strawberry imports come from Morocco (CBI) at more competitive prices compared to Poland, the main EU supplier.

In Morocco there is an increasing demand for poultry products. Upstream, the broiler sector is relatively well organised. However, down-stream, in terms of processing and marketing, there is room for improvement. There are opportunities for suppliers of slaughtering (and other processing) equipment, cold storage, egg branding, packaging, sorting and marketing technologies.

Morocco is the largest African maritime fisheries producer. Freshwater fish farming, this sector is currently emerging as one of the government’s ambitions.

Morocco imported a value worth of 1 billion euros from the Netherlands in 2018, mainly petroleum products and crude oil, fish, shell and molluscs and plant-based oils and fats.