Trade Tensions Escalate Between Morocco and Egypt Over Export Restrictions

"If Egyptian exporters believe that their goods are subject to excessive restrictions in Morocco, our own products face similar barriers in Egypt," confirms a source within the Casablanca-Settat Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services to Barlamane. The strengthening of the controls applied to Egyptian imports in Morocco would be the cause. Moroccan customs services ensure strict compliance with the standards established by the Agadir Agreement, particularly with regard to the origin and traceability of raw materials, confides a Moroccan importer. For their part, the Egyptian authorities would have tightened the administrative and technical procedures for Moroccan products, particularly in the automotive sector, say Moroccan economic operators.

The trade tensions between the two countries have deteriorated with the application by Morocco of anti-dumping duties on certain Egyptian products. Since December 2024, the kingdom has applied a definitive anti-dumping duty of 29.93% on canned tomatoes of Egyptian origin. A measure taken following the complaint of the National Federation of Moroccan Food Industries (FNIAM) which denounced a saturation of the local market. Last week, the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Trade announced the opening of an investigation following the complaint of an Egyptian manufacturer requesting the cancellation of the anti-dumping duty of 35.33% on Egyptian carpets and textile blankets, applied by Morocco for several years.

"These tensions illustrate the need for the signatory countries of the Agadir Agreement to harmonize their interpretations of the rules of origin and improve their dispute resolution mechanisms," say economists. The ministries in charge of Trade of the two countries plan to hold sessions in the coming days to harmonize points of view with a view to a fair application of the provisions of the Agadir Agreement and to put an end to these tensions which, if they persist, risk hindering the development of bilateral trade. According to the latest data from the Moroccan Center for Export Promotion (Maroc Export), trade between Morocco and Egypt reached more than $700 million in 2024.