Faced with competition from Asian giants, the Moroccan textile industry begins a strategic turn. In collaboration with Swisscontact, the Moroccan association of textile and clothing industries is focusing on added, traceability and sustainability to attract demanding markets such as Germany and Switzerland.
Moroccan textiles lives a crucial turning point. Long engine of industrial employment in the kingdom, the sector is going through a delicate period today, taken between exports in withdrawal, increasing competitive pressure and the need for strategic repositioning. To meet these challenges, the Moroccan Association of Textile and Clothing Industries (AMIth) has chosen to bet on an ambitious approach, based on quality, proximity and durability. By combining with the international organization Swisscontact, it aims to strengthen the establishment of Morocco on the demanding markets of German -speaking Europe, notably Switzerland and Germany.
With around $ 4.5 billion in exports in 2024, textiles remains a pillar of the Moroccan economy. It represents a major source of employment, especially for women, and a sure value of the national industry. However, at the end of April 2024, Moroccan exports in the sector displayed a 6 %drop, revealing a disturbing shortness of breath. This fragility does not concern the quality of products, but their competitiveness in a global hyper competitive market.
Morocco is facing industrial giants such as China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India or Cambodia, which dominate nearly 94 % of the European textile market. Conversely, the share of Morocco does not exceed 3.2 %, according to the estimates of the friend. These countries benefit from direct access to raw materials, an integrated industrial fabric, abundant workforce, low production costs and a sustained innovation capacity. Their vast domestic market also ensures them unequaled flexibility.
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In addition, Morocco massively imports technical textiles, especially from Turkey. In January 2024, Moroccan imports from this country jumped by 50 %, reaching nearly 1.9 billion dirhams, even though Turkey lost market share in Spain. This competitive dynamic highlights the structural fragility of the Moroccan sector, always dependent on the outside for certain raw materials and suffering from a deficit in vertical integration.
Despite these obstacles, Morocco retains a major asset: its proximity to Europe. In a context of disruption of global supply chains – exacerbated by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions – the map of the “Nearshoring” returns to the front of the stage. More and more European buyers are looking to shorten their logistics circuits and guarantee the traceability of their products.
It is precisely in this logic that the partnership between the friend and Swisscontact, supported by the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO), is written. The stake? Better position the Moroccan offer on markets with high added value, leaving the low -cost production logic to turn to a more qualitative, sustainable and innovative approach.
-Support for Moroccan companies
The project led by the friend and Swisscontact is not limited to punctual promotional actions. This is structuring strategic support. A team of specialized consultants has been mobilized to identify Moroccan companies capable of meeting the requirements of Swiss and German markets. These are formed, accompanied in the structuring of their offer, helped to improve their brand image and related to potential buyers.
The emphasis is placed on criteria that have become essential in European trade: ethical production, impeccable quality, agile logistics and complete traceability. Added to this are the requirements linked to environmental certifications (OEKO-TEX, GOTS) and new European directives, such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), which requires more transparency on the social and ecological practices of companies.
Swisscontact plays a role of ” Cultural and technical translator », Facilizing the adaptation of Moroccan companies to German and Swiss standards, and guiding them in the conquest of these niche markets, synonyms of larger margins and long -term loyalty.
The objective of this initiative goes beyond commercial meetings. It is also a question of sustainably strengthening Moroccan export capacities. Friend wants to become a strategic platform, capable of leading autonomous export campaigns, targeting the most promising markets and supporting manufacturers in their international promotion approaches.
In the medium term, this will allow Morocco to consolidate its image of ” Responsible industrial hub At the gates of Europe, competitive not by its prices, but by the added value it offers. A strategy consistent with Moroccan public policies in terms of industrialization, sustainability and job creation.
