Coffee Prices Soar in Morocco as Imports Rise and Global Costs Climb

Last year, coffee imports reached a volume of 51,191 tons, for a value of 2.26 billion dirhams, compared to 44,580 tons for a value of 1.41 billion dirhams in 2023, an increase in volume of 16.18%, according to data from the Foreign Exchange Office Bulletin. The value has jumped by 38.19%. The increase in imports is mainly justified by the rise in international coffee prices. Last year, the average price per kilogram of coffee was 43.78 dirhams compared to 31.68 dirhams in 2023.

The rise in international prices has also led to an increase in local rates. Prices have increased by 30 to 40 dirhams per kilogram, says Khalid Mouratib, president of the Casablanca-Settat branch of the National Federation of Café and Restaurant Owners, to L’Économiste. A less flattering situation for the establishments. Some prefer to reduce their profit margins rather than increase the price of a cup of coffee in order to preserve their clientele in a highly competitive market.

According to Mohamed Astaib, president of the Moroccan Association of Tea and Coffee Industrialists (AMITC), coffee consumption in Morocco remains stable. The annual per capita consumption is between 800 and 900 grams, a relatively low level compared to neighboring countries like Tunisia (1.5 kg) and Algeria (3 kg), where demand is much higher, he said. What about supply? Morocco sources its green coffee from countries like Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Uganda, Tanzania, Togo and Vietnam. It turns to European countries, such as Spain, Italy, France and the Netherlands, to import roasted coffee.