France sharply curbs Moroccan cars: sales plunge by 25%

The decline is highlighted in the new report on bilateral economic relations published on September 10 by the French Directorate General of the Treasury. It reports a 25% drop in French imports of automotive products from Morocco.

The underperformance of finished vehicles does not extend to the entire Moroccan automotive industry. Equipment intended for cars, also imported from the kingdom, has instead increased by 20%. Morocco therefore continues to gain ground in components despite the much sharper decline in assembled vehicles.

The same trend had already been observed in the sector’s overall results. In 2025, Morocco exported 80,000 fewer cars than the previous year, while sales of wiring, seats and interior equipment continued to increase.

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French imports from Morocco nevertheless reached 7.4 billion euros in 2025, representing a slight increase of 0.2%. The drop in car imports was offset by the rise in electrical equipment, whose sales to France increased by 19%, and by aeronautical products, up 12%.

France regains a trade surplus of 340 million euros

The decline in Moroccan cars directly altered the trade balance between the two countries. French exports to Morocco increased by 3.6%, to 7.7 billion euros, while French imports remained almost stable.

France thus recorded a trade surplus of 340 million euros with Morocco, compared with only 82 million in 2024. This represents a major reversal after the deficit of 835 million euros recorded in 2023.

Between 2012 and 2023, the rise of Moroccan industries had gradually wiped out the French surplus, which still amounted to 1.1 billion euros in 2012. The sharp decline in car deliveries now allows France to regain the advantage for the second consecutive year.

This decline comes as Moroccan manufacturers remain heavily dependent on the European market and on combustion-engine vehicles. The shift in demand toward electric models and the growing competition from Chinese cars in Europe are weighing on orders placed with factories in the kingdom.

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Despite this decline, France remains Morocco’s second-largest export market. It absorbs 19% of Moroccan exports and retains its position as the kingdom’s leading customer in Africa.

Trade between the two countries even reached a record 15.1 billion euros in 2025, up 1.9%. Bilateral trade has more than doubled since 2015. Behind this overall growth, however, lies an important change: finished cars are losing ground in France, while Moroccan automotive components, electrical equipment and aeronautics continue to expand there.