Morocco Ramps Up Mask Production, Aims for Global Export Amid COVID-19 Demand

The Moroccan production lines are churning out "seven million disposable masks and one million fabric masks instead of non-woven bags per day", writes the newspaper La Croix, very interested in this industrial revolution that has been taking place in Morocco since "the first case of coronavirus was detected." The textile industry has mobilized to produce masks on an assembly line," the newspaper notes, specifying that this production capacity has been possible "thanks to a textile industry which, with its 200,000 direct and 200,000 indirect jobs, remains the leading employer sector in Morocco".

In addition to this production, there are also the reusable fabric masks, certified five times by IMANOR, the Moroccan Institute of Standardization. The fabric masks "will be on sale shortly on the Moroccan market," La Croix notes, citing Mohammed Boubouh, president of the AMITH. "Already, 32 companies producing one million fabric masks per day have been certified," he says, adding that "this production should almost double within two weeks".

Given the shortage of protective masks shaking the world, the newspaper indicates that "customers from Europe, Africa and America are knocking on Morocco’s door, which seems to have found the right strategy to ensure that the manufacturing chain does not stop anytime soon".