Morocco and Egypt to Hold Talks Amid Trade Tensions

According to the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, an Egyptian delegation led by the Egyptian Minister of Commerce, should go to Rabat this week to find a solution to the trade crisis between the two countries, linked by a free trade agreement within the framework of the Agadir Agreement, in which Tunisia and Jordan are also parties. This meeting between the Egyptian and Moroccan ministerial authorities follows technical meetings, and aims to re-examine the free trade agreement in order to guarantee a balance in trade between the two countries, we are told.

In response to the restrictions imposed by Egypt on Moroccan exports, particularly cars, the kingdom has reacted by suspending the entry of certain Egyptian products in Moroccan ports. According to a source from the newspaper, these crises are part of the normal order of things: "There is neither a trade war nor anything of the kind... Problems arise from time to time. It is true that Morocco records a trade deficit with Egypt and that obstacles arise to our exports... But we are containing the situation within the framework of the distinguished relations between the two countries."

The planned ministerial meeting will make it possible to redefine the terms of the free trade agreement between the two countries in order to guarantee the rights of each party, adds the same source. For the record, Egypt had imposed restrictions on certain Moroccan products, particularly cars that would not meet the standards. "It seems that the Egyptian side simply wants to close the door to Moroccan products, especially manufactured ones, to prevent their access to the Middle East," said a source from the Moroccan Confederation of Exporters. The Trade Ministers of the two countries had held a meeting to appease this tension.

Tensions escalated in 2024, with the imposition by Morocco of a tax on the import of processed tomatoes from Egypt and the opening in February 2025 of an investigation to reassess the anti-dumping measures applied to imports of carpets and other mechanically manufactured floor coverings from Egypt. These trade tensions have affected trade between the two countries. While Moroccan imports of Egyptian products have increased from 475 million dirhams in 2023 to 804 million before the end of 2024, Moroccan exports to Egypt have dropped considerably, from 17 million dirhams to around 11 million dirhams.