The good (and bad) surprises in Morocco in 2026

It is a customs circular that could well bring a smile back to the faces of high-tech consumers. Among the flagship measures of this year 2026 is a spectacular drop in import duties on mobile phones, which are falling from 17.5% to only 2.5%. This massive reduction, which also applies to finished smartphones and assembly kits, aims to nip the black market in the bud and boost the local industry, hinting at a significant drop in in-store prices, according to the newspaper Le Matin. In the same spirit of social protection, the health sector is undergoing a historic reform: customs duties on 112 pharmaceutical products are reduced by up to 91%, while blood and its derivatives are now exempt from VAT on imports, ensuring better access to care for all.

On the food front, the government is trying to extinguish the inflationary fire with targeted measures. To counter the surge in red meat prices, customs barriers are temporarily falling: the import of 300,000 cattle and 10,000 camels is completely exempt from duties and VAT for the year 2026. A breath of fresh air that extends, in a more symbolic way, to the supermarket aisles with the VAT exemption on short (unfilled) pasta, a staple food for many households, although long pasta remains taxed at the usual rate. The furniture sector is not left out, with a tax on imported wood halved, from 12% to 6%, which should lighten the cost of construction and decoration.

However, not everyone is in the same boat and some habits will cost more. Smokers are the big losers of this Finance Act, which triggers the fifth and final phase of the tobacco tax reform, leading to a mechanical increase in prices. The pressure is also increasing on new consumption trends: fiscal marking becomes mandatory for electronic cigarettes, e-liquids and even products containing sugar, showing a desire for strict regulation. To enforce these new rules, customs is pulling out all the technological stops, now authorizing its agents to use drones, cameras and scanners to track down smuggling and clean up the domestic market.