Last year, a dispute relating to the access of Moroccan vehicles to the Egyptian market had led Rabat to temporarily suspend the import of several Egyptian products. This temporary paralysis was overcome thanks to bilateral discussions held in Rabat, which led to a gradual reopening Agreement of the commercial corridor.
Morocco and Egypt have demonstrated, on the occasion of the bilateral investment and trade forum, their joint desire to reconnect a fertile economic dialogue and to correct the imbalances of a bilateral trade still unsatisfactory with regard to the respective potential.
A shouting commercial imbalance
The commercial exchange between the two nations remains modest, around barely a billion dollars per year (about 10 billion dirhams), and suffers from a clear imbalance at the expense of Morocco. In 2024, Moroccan exports to Egypt represented only 754 million dirhams ($ 75 million), while imports from Cairo reached nearly 12.5 billion dirhams, according to the data from the exchange office – OC), the Moroccan public organization in charge of foreign trade statistics.
In a peaceful climate, following the lifting of restrictive measures imposed in reaction to the Egyptian refusal to import vehicles from Rabat, the two parties are now committed to rekindling their exchanges. “Trade is not a confrontation arena, but a mutually profitable interdependence”said Omar Hejira, Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Trade (MCE), pleading for a new cooperative impetus.
For his part, Hassan El Khatib, Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MICE), has promised the gradual lifting of administrative obstacles to facilitate the entry of Moroccan products into the Egyptian market.
-Objective: multiply flows
The Moroccan-Egyptian Affairs Council (CAME), represented by Nezar Abu Ismaïl, provides for an increase in Egyptian imports from Morocco to reach $ 100 million this year, emphasizing products such as fertilizers, fruit concentrates and taste enhancers. In the longer term, Morocco is working to raise the level of its exports to $ 500 million in 2026, according to Hassan Sentii El Idrissi, president of the Moroccan Exporting Association (ASMEX).
The major issue remains the automotive sector. The kingdom, the first African producer of private vehicles, intends to export 1,000 units to Egypt by 2025. “The potential is real and requires only an appropriate logistics supervision”estimated Ismaïl Abdelaziz, president of the Egyptian-Moroccan Association of Businessmen (AEMHA), evoking in parallel three Egyptian industrial implantation projects in Moroccan territory, in the furniture, health tools and modern irrigation sectors, for a total amount of around 100 million dollars.
Logistical dorsal spine
The success of this rebalancing is based on the improvement of interconnections. Ahmed El Wakil, president of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FCCé), spoke of the creation of a direct maritime line between the two countries, pending the reactivation of the Mediterranean land corridor. “We have to make Morocco a bridgehead to West Africa, and Egypt a springboard to the Arab East”he said.
The two countries have benefited from the Agadir Agreement (AA) since 2007, which facilitates trade between the Mediterranean Arab states. This instrument remains a favorable base to rethink the architecture of a balanced, sustainable and resolutely oriented partnership.
