Morocco Imposes Tariffs on 1,200 Turkish Products, Straining Trade Relations

According to a statement from the president of the Association of Industrial Zones, relayed by the Turkish media, the decision of the Moroccan government to tax the 1,200 Turkish-origin products will have a disastrous long-term impact on the country’s economy.

The situation is all the more worrying for the group of Turkish businessmen, the newspaper continues, as the Moroccan decision coincided with the boycott recently announced by Saudi Arabia. The head of the Saudi Chamber of Commerce, Ajlan Al-Ajlan, had indeed stated that the "boycott of anything Turkish, whether in terms of imports, investments or tourism, is the responsibility of all Saudis, merchants and consumers, in response to the continued hostility of the Turkish government towards our leaders, our country and our citizens".

By joining the Saudi strategy, Morocco is further undermining the Turkish economy, which should also have to deal with the difficult situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. "The boycott and the imposition of new taxes on our products will heavily impact Turkish industries, in this time of pandemic," lamented the president, stressing the risks of rising unemployment and business failures.

On October 15th, Rabat had imposed restrictions on Turkish supermarket chains and reinstated customs duties of up to 90% of the common duties on 1,200 Turkish-origin products. The measure had been taken as part of the revision of the Free Trade Agreement, aimed at "correcting the imbalances in the trade balance between the two countries".