Moroccan Textiles Are Being Overtaken by Turkey in Their Most Strategic Market
Moroccan textiles are losing ground in their main market as several Mediterranean competitors accelerate. In the first half of 2026, Spanish purchases of Moroccan clothing fell by 3.6%, while those from Turkey surged by nearly 50%.
According to Eurostat Comext data cited on September 21 by Kohan Textile Journal, Spanish imports of clothing from Morocco amounted to approximately 803 million euros in the first half of 2026, compared with 833 million over the same period in 2025.
The contrast with Turkey is particularly striking. Over the same period, Spanish purchases of Turkish clothing rose from 593 to 887 million euros, an increase of 49.5%. During this six-month period, Turkey therefore overtook Morocco in the Spanish market.
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Other competitors are also making progress, but from much lower levels. Spanish imports from Egypt rose from 72.1 to 93.2 million euros, while those from Tunisia increased from 31.7 to 43.5 million.
Morocco nevertheless retains a major position in Spain’s textile supply. This country still accounted for nearly two-thirds of Moroccan clothing exports in 2025. The first-half figures therefore do not indicate a collapse in the sector, but show that competition is rapidly intensifying in its main outlet.
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This development comes as Zara and other major European retailers shift their collections toward more sophisticated products, with higher-quality fabrics, more advanced finishing and ever-shorter development cycles.
For Moroccan suppliers, this shift is changing the criteria for competitiveness. Proximity to Europe and the ability to deliver quickly remain two important advantages, but they are no longer sufficient to guarantee orders. Inditex had nevertheless further strengthened its sourcing in Morocco in recent years, making the kingdom one of its main production centers close to the European market.
Manufacturers must now be able to produce more complex garments, with higher requirements in terms of quality, productivity and technical expertise. This requires greater investment in machinery, automation, product design, digital systems and employee training.
At the same time, the sector must contend with recruitment difficulties in several major production centers, notably Casablanca and Tangier. According to the specialized media outlet, rising housing, transport and everyday living costs are making relatively low-paid garment-making jobs less attractive.
The European picture is nevertheless less unfavorable than that of the Spanish market alone. Between January and May 2026, Moroccan clothing exports to the European Union fell by 9% in value. But European imports from all non-EU countries declined even more, by 11.9%.
As a result, Morocco’s share of this market rose from 2.6% to 2.7%. Moroccan clothing also has a high average value, at approximately 25.9 euros per kilogram. This resilience had already been observed at the beginning of the year, when Moroccan textiles held up better than several major Asian suppliers in the European market.
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The challenge is therefore not solely to produce more cheaply than Turkey, Egypt or the major Asian producers. Morocco must above all preserve what constitutes its main advantage: manufacturing close to Europe and very quickly, while increasing the added value and technical sophistication of its production.