Trade Plummets 62% Between Morocco and Algeria Amid Diplomatic Rift

The volume of trade between Morocco and Algeria reached 1.3 billion dirhams last year, down 62% compared to the previous year. This represents the lowest rate since 1999, according to the news site Asharq Business which collected the data from the Foreign Exchange Office. Last year, Moroccan imports from Algeria did not exceed 650 million dirhams, a decrease of 61% compared to the rate recorded a year ago, it is specified. As for Moroccan exports, they amounted to around 653 million dirhams, a decrease of 18%. In contrast, trade between Morocco and its other neighbor, Spain, reached a total of 209 billion dirhams in 2023, an increase of 11% year-on-year.

In 2021, intra-regional trade amounted to around 6.9 billion dirhams, of which 5.8 billion dirhams were Moroccan imports from Algeria. Dates overtake natural gas and become the most exported product by Morocco. In 2023, the value of their imports reached 441 million dirhams, or 67% of the total value of imports. Algeria’s main imports are spices, glass and plastic.