In short
- Spain was Morocco's largest supplier in 2023 and 2024, according to the data Morocco reports to UN Comtrade.
- Industrial goods originating in the EU have entered duty-free since March 2012, if you prove preferential origin.
- Without proof of origin (EUR.1, EUR-MED or origin declaration), your customer pays the full tariff.
- Conformity checks against Moroccan standards apply and, for food, ONSSA inspection and Arabic labelling.
- French is the usual business language and Arabic the language of administration and consumers: work in both.
Why export to Morocco: bilateral trade data
Morocco is the big nearby market outside the EU: a few hours from the ports of Algeciras, Tarifa or Almería, with a growing industrial base and a trade agreement with the EU in force since 2000. For a Spanish SME it is both a sales destination and a gateway to the rest of the Maghreb, as we explain in exporting to the Maghreb.
- Spain is Morocco's largest supplier. According to the data Morocco reports to UN Comtrade, Spain was its top source of imports in 2023 and 2024, ahead of China and France.
- About EUR 12.5 billion in goods exports in 2025, compared with about EUR 13.06 billion in 2024, according to Eurostat's Comext database.
- The EU is Morocco's main trading partner and largest foreign investor, according to the European Commission's Access2Markets.
Spain's lead means there are importers and distributors used to buying from Spain, with logistics already in place. It also means competition: to get in you need price, service and a reliable local partner. If you are still choosing a market, start with the step-by-step export guide.
Sectors with opportunity in Morocco
What Spain sells to Morocco reflects the country's industrialisation: machinery, components and raw materials for local manufacturing. These were the main chapters in 2025.
| Sector (HS chapter) | Share of Spanish exports to Morocco | Typical customer |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery and capital goods (84) | Around 12% | Industry, technical distributors and projects |
| Vehicles and automotive parts (87) | Around 11% | Car makers, suppliers and aftermarket |
| Electrical machinery and equipment (85) | Around 9.5% | Industry, installers and wiring |
| Plastics and plastic articles (39) | Around 6% | Processing industry and packaging |
| Copper and copper articles (74) | Around 5% | Electrical and automotive industry |
| Textile fibres and yarns (52, 54 and 55) | Close to 6% combined | Garment manufacturing |
Shares come from the data Spain reports to UN Comtrade. Other lines, such as fuels, weigh a lot but are not SME territory. For your product, search by HS Code: you will see whether Morocco imports it, from which countries and at what average price.
Requirements to export to Morocco: tariffs, origin, customs and standards
Morocco is outside the EU: every shipment clears customs when leaving Spain and when entering Morocco. The key lies in preferential origin and product standards.
EU-Morocco tariffs and preferential origin
The Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement between the EU and Morocco entered into force on 1 March 2000. According to Morocco's Ministry of Economy and Finance, industrial products originating in the EU have been exempt from import duties since March 2012. Agricultural, processed agricultural and fishery products follow their own regime, with an additional liberalisation agreement in force since October 2012 and product-specific conditions.
The exemption is not automatic: your customer only gets it if you provide proof of origin. The rules of origin are in Protocol 4 of the agreement. According to the European Commission, since 2 October 2025 the EU and Morocco have applied the revised transitional rules in parallel with those of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) Convention. Depending on which rules you use, the proof will be an EUR.1 certificate stamped by customs, an EUR-MED or an origin declaration on the invoice (approved exporter or low-value shipments).
| Area | What applies | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Import duties | 0% for EU-origin industrial products with proof of origin | Check your product meets the origin rule and issue an EUR.1 or declaration |
| Agricultural and fishery products | Own regime by product, with quotas or calendars in some cases | Check the tariff in Access2Markets and with ADII |
| Import VAT | Paid by the importer; standard rate of 20% | Include it in your landed-cost calculation |
| Other taxes | Domestic consumption taxes on certain products | Review your HS line with the importer or a forwarder |
| Customs in Spain | Export declaration (DUA) and EORI number | Work with a forwarder or customs representative |
| Customs in Morocco | Importer's declaration in ADII's BADR system | Send invoice, packing list, transport document and proof of origin on time |
To check the tariff and origin rule for your product, use Access2Markets and the Moroccan customs portal, ADII. You will find the other basic export documents in our export guide.
Technical standards and conformity checks
Many industrial products must meet mandatory Moroccan standards (NM standards, drawn up by the standards institute IMANOR). The Ministry of Industry and Trade checks conformity before shipment, through approved inspection bodies, or on arrival, and customs makes clearance conditional on the result. These checks were tightened in 2025 and 2026, so confirm with your importer whether your product is on the list and which certificate it needs before shipping.
Food: ONSSA and Arabic labelling
Imported agricultural and food products are inspected by ONSSA, Morocco's national food safety office, before clearance. Decree 2-12-389 of 2013 requires food labelling in Arabic, which may also include other languages. For many products a stick-on Arabic label applied by the importer is accepted. The label must identify the importer, so prepare it together.
Language of documentation
Arabic and Amazigh are the official languages, and French is the usual language of business, banking and commercial documents. In practice, have quotes, data sheets and contracts in French, and labelling and consumer information in Arabic where the rules require it. Spanish is fairly widely spoken in the north, but do not take it for granted.
Payment and risk
The dirham is not freely convertible, and payments abroad follow Moroccan foreign-exchange rules: the importer registers the transaction with an authorised bank before clearance. Invoice in euros and ask your customer to confirm that registration is done. For first orders use advance payment or a letter of credit, and if you offer deferred terms, consider export credit insurance.
Entry channels: distributor, agent, importer or direct sales
In Morocco the importer-distributor is the most common model: a local company that handles customs, bank registration, stock and sales.
| Channel | When it fits in Morocco | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Importer-distributor | Most industrial and consumer products; it clears and resells | Solvency and real coverage: Casablanca is not the whole country |
| Sales agent | Capital goods, projects and large industrial customers | Who imports and clears each order; agree commission and territory in writing |
| Direct sales to industry | Supplying manufacturers based in Morocco, as in automotive | Customer quality, lead-time and approval requirements |
| Subsidiary or local partner | Stable volume or need for a continuous presence | Investment, local regulation and remote management |
Many SMEs start with an importer-distributor on the Casablanca-Rabat axis or in the Tangier area, where much of the industry is concentrated, and expand later. You will find the full comparison of models in how to find international distributors.
How to find distributors and importers in Morocco
Personal relationships matter a lot in Morocco, so combine data sources with face-to-face contact.
Trade fairs in Morocco
| Fair | Sector | Venue | Frequency and edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIAM | Agriculture and agri-food | Meknes | Annual, in April; the 18th edition ran from 20 to 28 April 2026 |
| SIB (Salon International du Bâtiment) | Construction | Parc d'Exposition Mohammed VI, El Jadida | Every two years; 25 to 29 November 2026 |
| GITEX Africa | Technology and digital | Marrakech | Annual; the 2026 edition ran from 7 to 9 April |
Always confirm dates with the organiser. Our guide to international trade fairs to win clients explains how to arrive with meetings already booked thanks to a pre-show campaign.
Institutions and associations
- Economic and Commercial Offices of Spain in Rabat and Casablanca: part of the ICEX network, they offer partner search and meeting agendas as a tailored service, with their own fees.
- Official Spanish Chambers of Commerce in Morocco: present in Casablanca and Tangier, they organise meetings between Spanish and Moroccan companies.
- ACCIÓ: if your company is Catalan, the ACCIÓ office in Casablanca, active since 1989, supports the search for customers and partners.
- Moroccan sector federations: the CGEM employers' confederation and each sector's federation are good routes to identify importers.
LinkedIn, prospecting and data
Moroccan executives use LinkedIn and respond better to well-personalised messages in French. An email and LinkedIn sequence, like the one we explain in international B2B prospecting campaigns, helps you book meetings before you travel. To build the list, Exporta.ai finds importers and distributors with the decision-maker and a verified email.
Business culture and negotiation in Morocco
Every company is different, but these guidelines help in a first business relationship.
- Relationship before transaction: trust is built face to face. Plan visits and do not expect to close at the first meeting.
- Language: use French in meetings and documents; a few words of Arabic and consumer materials in Arabic are appreciated.
- Negotiation: price is discussed, so leave a reasonable margin and be clear about your limits and payment terms.
- Calendar: the weekend is Saturday and Sunday; during Ramadan the pace and working hours change, so plan meetings and deliveries well ahead.
- In writing: confirm agreements by email and sign a contract with governing law and jurisdiction or arbitration defined.
Common mistakes when exporting to Morocco
- Shipping without proof of origin. Your customer loses the exemption and pays the full tariff; your price stops being competitive.
- Not checking whether the product is subject to conformity control. Goods can be held at the port.
- Labelling food without Arabic or importer details. It is a reason for blocking at inspection.
- Giving credit from the first order. Use secure payment methods until you have a track record.
- Choosing the first contact. Without checking solvency and coverage, you may be tied to a partner that does not sell.
- Communicating only in Spanish or English. You lose closeness; French is the usual working language.
- Miscalculating the landed price. Add transport, import VAT, domestic taxes and the distributor's margin before quoting.
Grants and support for exporting to Morocco
To open Morocco you can rely on the general internationalisation programmes:
- ICEX Next: Spain's national programme for SMEs starting or consolidating exports, with advice from an approved consultant, subject to each call.
- ACCIÓ vouchers: in Catalonia, to hire internationalisation services from an accredited provider.
- Chambers of Commerce: internationalisation programmes and trade missions, often with Morocco as a destination.
- Export credit insurance: CESCE and private insurers cover commercial non-payment and, depending on the policy, political risk.
Amounts and deadlines change with each call. You will find the current status in our guide to internationalisation grants and, if you want us to handle them, in our grants service.
If you lack a team to open the market, an outsourced export department can validate demand, find and qualify importers, prepare visits and fairs and track progress with KPIs. If you are weighing nearby markets, compare with our guide to exporting to France.
Frequently asked questions
What tariffs does a Spanish product pay when entering Morocco?
Industrial products originating in the EU have been exempt from import duties since March 2012 under the EU-Morocco Association Agreement, provided origin is proven. Agricultural and fishery products follow their own regime by product. In all cases the importer pays import VAT and, for some products, domestic consumption taxes.
What is the EUR.1 and when do I need it for Morocco?
It is the movement certificate that proves the preferential origin of the goods, stamped by Spanish customs. Without it, or without a valid origin declaration on the invoice, your Moroccan customer cannot apply the preferential tariff. Since October 2025 the revised transitional rules and the PEM Convention rules apply in parallel, so confirm with your forwarder which proof to use.
Which language should I use to negotiate and label in Morocco?
French is the usual language of business, banking and commercial documents, while Arabic and Amazigh are the official languages. For food, labelling must be in Arabic and may include other languages. In practice, prepare quotes and contracts in French and consumer information in Arabic.
How can I get paid safely by a Moroccan customer?
Invoice in euros and, for first orders, use advance payment or a letter of credit. Payments abroad follow Moroccan foreign-exchange rules, so the importer must register the transaction with an authorised bank before clearance. If you offer deferred terms, consider export credit insurance that covers commercial non-payment.
How do I find distributors in Morocco?
Define the importer profile and area, such as the Casablanca-Rabat axis or Tangier. Then combine fairs such as SIAM or SIB, the Economic and Commercial Offices of Spain in Rabat and Casablanca, the Spanish Chambers of Commerce in Morocco and LinkedIn prospecting in French. Exporta.ai helps you find importers with the decision-maker and a verified email.
