US Leads Global Imports of Fez Handicrafts, Boosting Morocco’s Artisan Economy

Craftsmanship, a key sector of the Fez-Meknes economy with nearly 124,000 jobs, has, like all other sectors, suffered the adverse effects of the Covid-19 health crisis. The turnover of this sector, which feeds thousands of families, recorded a significant drop to reach 1.675 billion dirhams during the lockdown period, according to data from the Fez-Meknes Economic Monitoring Committee (CVE-FM).

Several art and production craftsmen, estimated at 87,000, ceased their activities during the period, due to the suspension of imports of raw materials, the export of the products made and the drop in sales due to the cancellation of national and international fairs.

In total, exports of handicraft products from Fez reached over 315.8 million dirhams (MDH) between 2011 and 2020. In 2019 and 2020, these exports experienced a considerable increase, reaching 66.205 MDH and 57.999 MDH respectively, according to figures from the regional crafts department.