Moroccan exports to Egypt: ASMEX and Cairo’s embassy agree three-point plan

The Egyptian Embassy in Rabat has agreed to support Moroccan exporters seeking to grow their sales in Egypt, under a three-point plan drawn up with the Moroccan Confederation of Exporters (ASMEX) at a meeting held on October 22.

The push follows a 2025 trade balance heavily tilted against Morocco: its shortfall with Egypt last year exceeded MAD 10 billion ($1 billion).

ASMEX President Sonia Mezzour and Egypt’s Ambassador to Morocco, Ahmed Nehad Abdel-Latif, met alongside representatives of both sides. They settled on three goals: helping firms already selling in Egypt to sell more, putting Moroccan goods in front of buyers who have not yet tried them, and cutting the red tape that makes the market hard to enter.

Olive oil, fertilizers and more

Four groups of products were flagged for growth. Olive oil heads the list alongside fertilizers, seafood sold canned or frozen, and cosmetics, with argan products singled out in that category.

Such goods could let Moroccan suppliers break into segments where Egyptian demand is now met by other countries. Whether they succeed will turn on Egyptian buyers’ terms: the quantities they need, their technical specifications, prices and commercial conditions.

Matchmaking sits at the heart of the plan. ASMEX and the embassy want to link Moroccan firms with Egyptian importers, distributors and possible partners, while pinning down what stops established exporters from expanding.

Egyptian investors and importers are also expected to travel to Morocco as a delegation. Officials in both countries are working out the details of the trip, which may include direct meetings between companies and talks on possible commercial and industrial tie-ups.

Help with GOEIC procedures

Administrative hurdles took up a large part of the discussion, notably those linked to Egypt’s General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), which handles import and export procedures. A contact point named by the Egyptian embassy will advise Moroccan exporters and follow their files.

Complaints from ASMEX members will be compiled by the confederation and forwarded to the institutions concerned through the established channels.

Joint industrial ventures

The two sides also considered projects in which Moroccan and Egyptian companies would manufacture together. Incentives under Morocco’s Investment Charter could back ventures pooling the two countries’ industrial strengths to serve outside markets, chiefly sub-Saharan Africa and the European Union.

For Mezzour, the aim is for companies to turn these opportunities into real contracts and bigger export revenues. Nehad Abdel-Latif said economic ties between Rabat and Cairo depend on the two private sectors working more closely together.

ASMEX’s next task is to single out the Moroccan firms with the best chances in Egypt, gauge the needs of Egyptian importers and set up targeted business meetings, while relaying exporters’ concerns to the relevant institutions.