Morocco plans to review its trade agreement with Turkey in an effort to curb a widening trade deficit, which has reached $3 billion, primarily due to rising imports of Turkish fabrics, according to Reuters.
Omar Hjira, the official overseeing trade affairs in Morocco, is expected to visit Turkey soon to discuss strategies for narrowing the trade gap and encouraging more Turkish investment in the North African kingdom, the sources said following a meeting on Tuesday.
Morocco and Turkey signed a free trade agreement in 2004, which was amended in 2020 to include a 90% tariff on imports of Turkish textiles and clothing. The amendment aimed to shield local manufacturers and protect domestic jobs. However, Moroccan companies continue to import large volumes of Turkish fabric to sustain the national garment industry, Reuters reported.
Official data shows Morocco’s overall trade deficit surged 22.8% year-on-year in the first four months of 2025, reaching 109 billion dirhams ($12 billion). In 2024, the annual trade gap widened by 7% to 306 billion dirhams. Turkey currently stands as Morocco’s third-largest source of trade deficit, following the United States and China.
In response to the growing imbalance, Moroccan authorities have introduced new measures to prevent market saturation from imported goods under long-standing free trade agreements. Earlier this year, the government tightened import controls on several products, including Turkish-made electric ovens, Tunisian notebooks, and Egyptian tomato paste.
The crackdown includes a definitive anti-dumping duty of up to 62.07% over five years on Turkish electric ovens with a capacity of 70 liters or less, replacing a provisional measure imposed earlier. The restrictions were coordinated by the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Economy and Finance, and the Customs and Indirect Tax Administration.
Officials hope that renegotiating the agreement and boosting direct Turkish investments in local production will help rebalance trade and support Morocco’s industrial development.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.