Benefiting from a solid recovery observed for all sectors of activity, these exports succeeded during the past year in surpassing their level of 2019 (before the outbreak of the pandemic crisis), proving not only their resilience, but also their ability to adapt to any context.
According to figures from the Foreign Exchange Office, Moroccan exports peaked at nearly 327 billion dirhams (MMDH) in 2021, showing growth of 24.3% compared to 2020 and 14.9% compared to 2019.
Of course, the historic sector of phosphates and derivatives was the locomotive of these exports with an increase of 57.1%, while aeronautics returned to performance, signing an increase of 21.9%.
The automobile, for its part, saw its exports increase by 15.9% to more than 83.78 billion dirhams in 2021, thanks to external demand addressed to construction (+35.2%).
With regard to textile and leather exports, they amounted to more than 36.38 billion dirhams (+ 21.6%) while exports in agriculture and agri-food (+ 9.2%) exceeded 68.37 MDH.
Benefiting from the momentum generated by the resumption of several industrial activities, exports of electronics and electricity exceeded 13.25 billion dirhams, with growth of 28.5%.
Prospects for the evolution of exports: when sovereignty becomes key
This fine performance by exports over the past year portends an even more promising future where sovereignty becomes a key word. Moreover, this sovereignty is intended to be a lever for exporting and strengthening Morocco’s role as a safe economic locomotive for Africa and the whole world.
This is what international expert Amine Laghidi, president of the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX) Center Region Rabat, said in an interview with the MAP agency.
To this end, he noted that sovereignty, through its various axes, is capable of transforming external threats into trade opportunities and growing imports into national and international investments intended to develop more exports, following honoring the local and regional needs.
Dwelling on health sovereignty and medical tourism, Mr. Laghidi underlined that the project for the manufacturing unit and the syringe of anti-Covid vaccines and other vaccines in Morocco should allow a significant increase in Moroccan exports in pharmaceutical products.
And to continue that such a project will have a positive impact and “upgrade” of the entire pharmaceutical sector, strengthening its competitiveness and enhancing the quality of the services from which it benefits, particularly in terms of logistics, packaging and distribution.
It is also a question of offering a wider range of support products (whether in subcontracting or in inputs/strategic active components) capable of attracting new foreign and national investments and strengthening current investments, added Mr. Laghidi.
“The confidence that the Moroccan health sector now enjoys and its good reputation on an international scale, are a beneficial windfall for any private investor in the sector”, he argued, considering that medical tourism is intended to be a a buoyant niche which should experience significant growth in the coming months and years.
This type of tourism should benefit from a triple effect: the now acquired attractiveness of Morocco as a health destination, the dynamism of the private health sector, particularly following the last reform put in place, as well as the interest shown by foreign investment funds that consider the country as a gateway to Africa.
Energy sovereignty: green energy and natural gas
For Mr. Laghidi, the energy sector, already very dynamic thanks to the enlightened vision of the King, has enabled Morocco to become African champion in terms of green energy production (45% of the national electricity mix) and also a champion in terms of exporting this green electricity, particularly to Europe.
Thus, several opportunities arise from this, in particular the strengthening of the export of green electricity to Europe, an attractive niche for foreign investors, and the export of electricity to Africa in the short term, in particular from the connection from Dakhla to the national electricity grid, through an energy highway of several thousand kilometers of cable, he detailed.
And to maintain that it is also regarding the discovery of gas reservoirs in the east of Morocco and in the west towards Larache. Once the reserves have been assessed and production has started, this should allow a new source of gas export for Morocco firstly, by pipeline (Maghreb Europe being only 11 km from the western field), but also by liquid gas once the capacity is installed.
In addition, Mr. Laghidi said that there are levers of choice, in particular the “enormous” export potential of the 12 regions, since currently 4 regions account for 80% of national exports.
According to him, investing in distribution chains abroad would make it possible to do in a few months what would take years, namely the diversification of export destinations and export products.
In addition, there is talk of improving the added value of exports, which is considered an obligation to strengthen existing capitalization and encourage domestic and foreign investment through the implementation of a synchronized strategy, indicated Mr. Laghidi.
The expert also calls for using the modern Moroccan culture, rich, rooted in time and diversified as a lever for attracting customers around the “Made in Morocco”.
Overall, Morocco seems on the right track to consolidate the growth path of its exports and continue its momentum on international markets, taking advantage of its competitive advantages, the various opportunities that are emerging and its attractiveness arousing the interest of private investors. .
With MAP