MOROCCO clothing industry calls for government assistance to boost exports

The Morocco textiles and clothing sector plays a major role in the country’s economy and is the top industrial employer. The Morocco foreign exchange department (l’Office des Changes) report shows drop in the clothing and textile exports from MAD28.2bn (US$3.4bn) in 2012 to MAD26.3bn (US$3.2bn) last year. The Morocco clothing and textile industry has urged the government to work with the sector to boost exports.

The reason cited by the l’Office des Changes officials for the sharp fall by around 10.8% between 2012 and 2013 is strong competition from Turkish, Indian and Chinese companies.

Meanwhile, the ministry of trade, industry and new technologies of Morocco is working on a 10-year technological investment and sales promotion programme focused to increase exports to Europe.

The director general of industry association AMITH (Association Marocaine des Industries du Textiles et de l’Habillement), Mohamed Tazi said that despite the weak performance, there are “many indicators that call for buoyancy, as to the future of the Moroccan textile industry.

To enhance cooperation between companies and the government, there is a need for clear and practical plan now as the government aims at exporting MAD85bn worth of clothing and textiles by 2025 and creating 250,000 jobs as a result.

Although it is facing fierce competition from Asian countries, China in particular, the sector is showing growth signs, thank to the efforts made to maintain its competitiveness.