Israel is committed to importing cars made in Morocco
Israel plans to import cars manufactured in Morocco in significant volumes, given the growing importance of the automotive sector in the North African country.
Morocco has positioned itself as the main producer of cars on the African continent, with the presence in its territory of up to 250 companies dedicated to the manufacture of automobiles and components for them, and this is noticeable.
Israel is planning to buy Moroccan-made vehicles in greater volume as it faces a trade embargo imposed by Turkey in the wake of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip against the extremist Palestinian group Hamas, as reported by Morocco World News through information served by Calcalist.
Until recently, only a limited number of Moroccan-made vehicles have been arriving in Israel, mainly models from the French company Renault, including the Dacia brand, which belongs to the French automotive group. In the coming months, these are expected to be joined by Peugeot 208 models produced at Stellantis' factories in the Moroccan enclave of Kenitra. Stellantis is the result of a merger between the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French Groupe PSA Peugeot, which shows the presence of important companies in Morocco, such as Renault.
The first version of the Peugeot 208 scheduled for import is the turbocharged PURE TECH model, with hybrid versions expected to arrive from European production next year.
Stellantis opened its Kenitra plant in 2019. The automaker has announced plans to double the factory's production capacity to 450,000 vehicles a year in Morocco, which will create 2,000 new jobs.
Problems with Turkey affect Israel. Brands such as Hyundai, Toyota, Renault and Ford have not been arriving from Turkish production since May due to the embargo issued by the Turkish country as a reprimand for the Israeli military operation in Gaza, leaving Israeli car importers to look for other markets.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz vowed to seek new trade alternatives, focusing on domestic production and imports from other nations, such as Morocco.
Morocco's automotive industry currently accounts for 22% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 14 billion dollars in exports. The country is working to maintain its position as a major automotive manufacturing hub, including a commitment to electric vehicles. The automotive sector employs 220,000 people.
Fruitful relations between Israel and Morocco
Ties between Israel and Morocco are currently strong after the Moroccan kingdom established diplomatic relations with the Israeli state in the wake of the Abraham Accords of September 2020, sponsored by the United States, under which several Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established ties with the Hebrew country with the aim of pacifying the Middle East and promoting regional development. In return, Morocco received support in December 2020 from Donald Trump's US administration for its autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a support that has been maintained under the current administration led by Joe Biden.
Within this dynamic, cooperation between Israel and Morocco in all areas grew exponentially. Collaboration agreements were reached in sectors such as arms, trade and even new technologies, from which the Moroccan kingdom benefited by taking advantage of Israel's great technological development and the Israeli country by taking advantage of various economic sectors in which the North African country stands out.
The economies of both nations have benefited from this allied relationship. Thus, trade between Morocco and Israel reached 8.5 billion dollars in June 2024, an increase of 124% compared to June 2023, according to the Abraham Accords Peace Institute. Indeed, 2023 was an exceptional year in terms of Israeli-Moroccan trade, which doubled last year to 116.7 million dollars.
However, there are some who do not welcome Morocco's alliance with Israel, arguing that the harsh military operation being carried out by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip has already left tens of thousands of people dead. This military operation was triggered by the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in Israeli territory on 7 October, which caused 1,200 deaths and left 250 people kidnapped.