UK-Morocco trade rises 16.7% as British exports surge

Trade between Morocco and the United Kingdom continued its strong upward trajectory, with total bilateral trade reaching £5.3 billion in the 12 months ending in March 2026, driven by a sharp increase in British exports to the North African kingdom.

According to official data from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, reviewed by Hespress, total trade between the two countries rose 16.7%, or £756 million, compared with the previous 12-month period.

The figures are based on data compiled from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

British exports record strongest growth

British exports to Morocco posted the fastest growth among all components of bilateral trade, increasing 29.8% to £2.6 billion, up £595 million from the previous year.

Meanwhile, UK imports from Morocco rose at a more moderate pace of 6.3%, reaching £2.7 billion, an increase of £161 million.

As a result, the UK’s trade deficit with Morocco narrowed significantly, falling from £546 million to just £112 million.

Trade in goods shifted from a £205 million deficit to a £160 million surplus in Britain’s favor, while the services deficit narrowed from £341 million to £272 million.

Looking at the 2025 calendar year, total trade between the two countries reached £4.7 billion, up 10.3% year over year. British exports totaled £2.1 billion, an increase of 17.1%, while imports from Morocco reached £2.6 billion, up 5.4%.

Morocco ranks 47th among UK trading partners

Despite the strong growth, Morocco remains a mid-sized trading partner for the United Kingdom.

The country ranked 47th among Britain’s global trading partners, accounting for 0.3% of the UK’s total international trade. Morocco ranked 50th as a destination for British exports and 43rd as a source of UK imports.

In goods trade alone, Morocco ranked 37th overall and 29th as a market for British merchandise exports.

Goods accounted for 71.3% of total bilateral trade, worth £3.8 billion, reflecting a 21.2% annual increase. Services represented the remaining 28.7%, totaling £1.5 billion, up 6.7%.

Oil leads UK exports

Crude oil became Britain’s largest export to Morocco, totaling £630.6 million, or 32.1% of total goods exports. The commodity was absent from the previous year’s trade data.

Metal scrap ranked second at £315.7 million, up 48.1%, followed by intermediate mechanical power-generating equipment at £219.4 million.

Refined petroleum exports fell sharply by 54.7% to £197.3 million, while vehicle exports increased 22.8% to £112.5 million.

On the Moroccan side, fruit and vegetable exports remained the country’s leading export category to the UK, totaling £644.4 million, or 35.2% of total British imports from Morocco, representing a 13.8% increase.

They were followed by intermediate electrical equipment at £386.9 million, vehicles at £153.2 million (+13.3%), intermediate furniture products at £141.8 million, and clothing at £112.8 million.

Travel dominates services trade

Transport services accounted for the largest share of British services exports to Morocco, totaling £258 million, or 41.3%of the total.

Travel services followed at £130 million, while other business services reached £103 million, an increase of 33.8%.

On the import side, travel services dominated Morocco’s services exports to the UK, accounting for 79.7% of the total, or £717 million.

They were followed by transport services at £106 million and other business services at £34 million.

Foreign investment remains limited

The United Kingdom accounted for 2.8% of Morocco’s total imports in 2024, an increase of 0.4 percentage pointscompared with 2023. That share consisted of 2.5% in goods and 4.5% in services.

Foreign direct investment between the two countries, however, remains modest.

The UK did not disclose the value of its direct investment stock in Morocco due to statistical confidentiality rules. Moroccan direct investment in the UK stood at just £9 million at the end of 2024, representing less than 0.1% of total inward foreign investment in Britain and marking a 30.8% decline from 2023.

The data also showed that approximately 2,100 UK companies registered for value-added tax exported goods to Morocco in 2025, while about 900 companies imported Moroccan goods.