By: Mohamed Saad
The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Kingdom of Morocco, Ahmed Nihad Abdel-Latif, visited the headquarters of the Moroccan Exporters Association (ASMEX) in Casablanca, where he was received by Ms. Saloua Karkri-Belkeziz, President of the Association.
The meeting addressed ways to upgrade economic relations between Egypt and Morocco to a full partnership combining trade exchange, investment, and industrial partnerships, as well as the central role of the private sector in achieving this goal. The meeting was attended by members of the Association's Board of Directors, the Commercial Attaché at the Egyptian Embassy, Moataz Bellah Ali, and members of the Embassy.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of the momentum in relations between Egypt and Morocco following the first session of the Coordination and Follow-up Committee, chaired by the Prime Ministers of both countries in Cairo last April, during which 14 agreements were signed between the countries in the fields of industrial cooperation, cooperation between investment authorities, customs cooperation, and an agreement to avoid double taxation. The trade ministers of both countries also met on the sidelines of the committee's work.
In this context, the Egyptian Ambassador emphasized that his visit to the Association's headquarters reflects the desire to strengthen ties with the Moroccan private sector and its institutions, and to understand the interests of the Moroccan export sector, while highlighting the central role of the private sector in strengthening economic and commercial relations between the two countries, in a way that contributes to creating a full partnership.
For her part, Ms. Saloua Karkri-Belkeziz stated:
"Our responsibility, as representatives of the export sector, is to convey the challenges and realities faced by companies, to propose solutions, and to accompany them in their efforts to penetrate new markets. The challenge is to turn identified opportunities into contracts, deals, and additional exports."
Saloua Karkri-Belkeziz
.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Ahmed Nihad Abdel-Latif noted the increase recorded in Moroccan exports to Egypt, the value of which rose from 59 million dollars in 2024 to 123 million dollars in 2025, meaning more than a doubling. He noted that this development reflects the promising horizons offered by the Egyptian market, provided that products meet its requirements. He pointed out that Moroccan exports are still concentrated in two categories of products, which account for about 66% of total exports, making their diversification one of the priorities. Moroccan automotive exports alone reached 49 million dollars in 2025, four times the level recorded the previous year.
The Egyptian Ambassador also reviewed the volume of Egyptian investments in Morocco, which exceeds one billion dollars, mainly in the fields of tourism, food industries, and electric mobility. The meeting discussed horizons and opportunities for developing joint production projects, based on the complementarity of industrial capabilities and expertise existing in the companies of both countries. The complementarity between the Egyptian and Moroccan markets as platforms for penetrating markets in Africa, Europe, and Asia was also highlighted, which allows for turning economic integration between the two countries into joint opportunities for penetrating international markets. In this context, cooperation horizons were discussed within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Agadir Agreement, and Euro-Mediterranean rules of origin. These frameworks offer opportunities for establishing production or industrial operations in either of the two countries, while taking advantage of existing preferential trade benefits.
The Commercial Attaché noted the ongoing preparations for organizing an Egyptian delegation to Morocco, including importers and investors, with the aim of identifying Moroccan products that can be imported into the Egyptian market and exploring ways to strengthen cooperation with Moroccan companies, in a way that contributes to increasing Moroccan exports. The Moroccan Exporters Association welcomed this initiative and expressed its readiness to mobilize Moroccan export companies and organize targeted business meetings, to contribute to a precise and effective connection between supply and demand.
In this context, an initial list of Moroccan products that could benefit from promising opportunities in the Egyptian market was discussed, including:
* Cars and spare parts, as they are already the main category in Moroccan exports to Egypt.
* Fertilizers and phosphate products.
* Canned or frozen seafood products.
* Olive oil, whose presence is still limited despite existing growth horizons.
* Cosmetics, especially products based on argan oil, which is one of the unique Moroccan products.
* Processed food products.
For its part, the Egyptian side expressed its desire to facilitate procedures for Moroccan companies wishing to export to Egypt, especially regarding registration with the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC). He also mentioned the commitment of the Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade to accelerate the processing of pending registration files for Moroccan companies. The Commercial Office at the Egyptian Embassy confirmed its readiness to communicate with companies encountering delays or needing administrative support to facilitate the completion of registration procedures. For its part, the Moroccan Exporters Association will work to centralize the requests and problems raised by its members and forward them to the office.
At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue communication and coordination on a regular basis in order to implement the steps discussed, in a way that contributes to strengthening the economic, commercial, and investment partnership between Egypt and Morocco, and to turn the existing potential into tangible projects and practical results for the benefit of the economies of both countries.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to react!