U.S. Imposes 10% Tariff on Moroccan Exports, Signaling Shift in Trade Policy

"It is clear that this American decision to tax certain imported products at 10% is not just a commercial adjustment. It is a strong signal, which announces a more assumed and more structured protectionist turn in American trade policy. Morocco, like other countries, is facing a new situation," analyzes economist Marouane Hatim, member of the Association of Quebec Economists and researcher at the University of Montreal, in an interview with Le Matin. He cites the Moroccan sectors that are most affected by this American tax: "In this context, several Moroccan sectors appear vulnerable. The fertilizer sector, first of all, a pillar of our foreign trade with the United States, in connection with our phosphate resources. Citrus fruits and agri-food products follow, with a strong presence on the American market, as well as sectors such as textiles and intermediate technologies, particularly semiconductors."

According to the economist, to limit the impact, we must not be content with technical reactions. Morocco must rethink its positioning in depth: "reduce our costs where possible, aim for upgrading, offer products with higher added value, and above all adapt to the specific requirements of the American consumer, who, let’s not forget, remains dependent on certain types of imports. But the essential thing is elsewhere: we must diversify our markets." He explains that it "is no longer just a strategic option, it is a resilience imperative." He will add: "And in this redeployment, Africa and Asia are obvious growth areas. We must approach them not as second-rate alternatives, but as structuring priorities."

Does the American decision mark the end of the Morocco-United States free trade agreement? "This decision profoundly questions the real value of the free trade agreement that Morocco signed with the United States in 2004. When an agreement becomes unilaterally modifiable, without consultation or notice, we see its limits. That said, it is not necessarily a matter of breaking or abandoning this agreement. Rather, we must envisage an intelligent renegotiation, in a collective diplomatic framework, because several countries will be concerned, not just Morocco," comments the economist. He thinks that in parallel, the Moroccan government has a fundamental role to play. It is a question of setting up an economic safety net for exporting companies, ensuring strategic monitoring to anticipate sectoral reconfigurations and, above all, acting to make Morocco a regional hub for production and trade.

"This brutal change in the rules must be an opportunity to reinvent our model of international economic integration," the academic is convinced. "It is not a question of passively resisting, but of actively and intelligently adapting." What about the impact on the trade balance? "The effects will not necessarily be immediate, but they will be profound," estimates the economist. He explains: "It is not so much the tax itself that will be a problem, but rather the context of global slowdown that it causes or accentuates: decline in global demand, fall in commodity prices, drop in orders, etc. This can seriously affect our trade balance, particularly in sectors such as mining, automotive or chemicals."

The American decision can be an opportunity. "But in every crisis there is also an opportunity. Morocco has a major strategic advantage: its African anchoring. Today, it is not just a matter of diversifying, but of intensifying an offensive commercial diplomacy. Many countries will seek to get out of American dependence and establish themselves elsewhere: we must offer them Morocco as a platform," he analyzes further. The economist continues: "Not just as a market, but as an entry point to Africa, with its 1.4 billion inhabitants, its demographic dynamism, its massive infrastructure and product needs. We have the assets: quality infrastructure, political stability, valuable African experience and growing international recognition. We now need to transform these favorable conditions into concrete competitive advantages."

And he concludes: "Certainly, this American decision is an alert, but it can also be a positive trigger, if Morocco chooses to act with lucidity, anticipation and ambition."