The Chamber of Commerce in Tangier invites young Andalusian entrepreneurs to invest in Morocco
On 9 October, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Morocco Tangier-Nador-Kenitra organised a direct and exclusive trade mission for young entrepreneurs and SME creators from both Morocco and Spain.
The meeting, held in collaboration with the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Andalusia (AJE Andalucía), also featured the participation of the Regional Investment Centre of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (CRITTA), which led the information panel.
CRITTA officials highlighted the success of the port of Tangier Med as a factor in attracting foreign direct investment; investment opportunities in northern Morocco in key economic sectors; facilities in terms of tariffs and customs procedures; and subsidies provided by the state to foreign companies seeking to invest in Morocco.
This event brought together representatives from more than 44 Spanish companies located in Andalusia, who travelled to Tangier to present their economic activities with a view to internationalising in Morocco.
Serving young entrepreneurs
The round table dedicated to presenting the market in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region and the various opportunities it offers young entrepreneurs was attended by Noussaira El Harrak, Head of the Division of Promotion and Territorial Attractiveness at CRITTA, who explained the business opportunities available in the region and the characteristics of the new Investment Charter.
El Harrak reaffirmed the ease with which Spanish companies can integrate into the economic environment of the northern region, thanks to the continuous support of the Investment Centre, the simplification of procedures - which are the same as those required for a Moroccan company - and the overcoming of the language barrier, given that the majority of the population in this region is Spanish-speaking.
For his part, Ali Achaach, senior manager of Business Development at Tanger Med, highlighted the role of this port as a driving force for development in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region and presented the record figures achieved by the port both in its global ranking and in its economic activities and logistics areas.
In her speech, Najlae Ben Mokhtar, chartered accountant, spoke about investment opportunities in Morocco, highlighting the specificities of the legal and fiscal framework for foreign investors.
‘Every year, digitalisation is accelerating around the world, sometimes leaving us no time to react. Today in Morocco, everything is being digitalised and we have moved from paper to online in many sectors,’ explained Ben Mokhtar, who recalled that the 2030 digitalisation strategy aims to improve services and ensure their transparency.
For his part, Youness Lasri, a freight forwarder (freight agent and logistics activities), explained to young entrepreneurs from Andalusia the customs regulations and logistical conditions for exporting to Morocco. Lasri stressed that, in order to export to Morocco, it is necessary to set up an office in the country and obtain a goods registration number, as an important step towards being recognised by customs.
Lasri pointed out that ‘many companies, especially Chinese ones, are choosing Morocco as an alternative to the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, taking advantage of the 10% rate compared to 35% or 40% in European countries’.
Andalusian businesspeople in Tangier
The trade mission organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tangier was attended by 44 young entrepreneurs representing companies located in Andalusia and some already established in Morocco.
They are businesspeople belonging to AJE Andalucía, a politically independent, non-profit association founded in 1990. With its cross-sectoral nature, it brings together more than 2,300 entrepreneurs and 3,200 companies, mostly SMEs run by professionals under the age of 41 with ideas, initiatives and great enthusiasm for putting their projects into practice and starting up companies.
The aim of the association is to represent and defend the interests of young entrepreneurs in Andalusia, addressing their needs for training, advice and information.
The participants in the Tangier meeting are companies operating in the marketing, trade, agriculture, hospitality, industry, law and consulting sectors, among other economic areas of particular interest on both sides of the Mediterranean. They took advantage of this meeting to share experiences, seek answers to their projects, solve problems and overcome possible difficulties they might face when deciding to set up in Morocco.
Juan Aragón, representative of the engineering and precision mechanics company Mecanizados URBISUR, expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, which was very fruitful for young Andalusian entrepreneurs.
‘We are a limited company based in Cadiz. We are dedicated to mechanical engineering and work for the automotive, aeronautical and naval sectors in the Cadiz area,’ explained Aragón, adding that the company has been manufacturing tube bending machinery since 2005.
‘We are currently exporting to Morocco through a third-party company, and our goal is to export directly to all of Morocco through a distribution channel in Tangier or Casablanca,’ concluded Juan Aragón.
