Morocco Bans Import and Sale of High-Emission Vehicles Starting 2023

New regulations aimed at reducing the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment through the ban on the import and sale of polluting vehicles will come into force from January 1, 2023. It is in line with "the efforts that Morocco is multiplying to protect the environment and in application of Article 24 of Decree No. 2.10.421 of September 29, 2021 which stipulates that ’motor vehicles must not emit smoke, toxic, corrosive or odorous gases, under conditions likely to inconvenience the population, compromise public health and safety or harm the environment’," reports the Arabic-language daily Al Akhbar.

Regarding the new homologations of new vehicles, the new regulations "have also been strengthened" through "Order No. 2251.21 of the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, promulgated on August 5, 2021" which clarifies "the regulatory framework for the implementation of the new standard. This regulation will be applied to heavy goods vehicles after 24 months for new homologations and 36 months for registration" due to the crisis situation in the transport sector, it is specified.