The textile sector, Morocco's main source of employment

Employees of Still Nuas Fashion work in a textile factory in an industrial park connected to a free trade zone in the Moroccan city of Tangier - PHOTO/ ARCHIVE

The Moroccan textile industry is the main exporter of clothing from the African continent to the European Union and employs the most workers of any economic sector in the country

  1. Complete industry coverage
  2. Special zone regime

The textile sector is another example of how Morocco has managed to promote and create a favourable ecosystem for the development of local companies, making it one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment.

Today, Morocco is Africa's leading exporter of clothing to the European Union. Its growth has been remarkable in recent years: between 2022 and 2023, the sector grew by 6%.

It is also Morocco's main employer, thanks to factors such as the youth of the Moroccan workforce; the availability of training centres to increase workers' skills and adapt them to the needs of the industry; and existing incentives for employee training and development.

The result is a skilled workforce, both in terms of engineers and technicians and designers.

Textile crafts in Morocco - Depositphotos

Complete industry coverage

Morocco offers complete coverage of the textile industry, with an ecosystem that provides companies with multiple opportunities throughout the value chain (textile production; basic and sophisticated garment production; and distribution) and across all types of firms, from the mass market to premium brands.

In return, Morocco offers access to a potential market of more than 2.5 billion consumers, both in Europe and on the African continent itself, as well as in Asia and America.

Special zone regime

In order to facilitate the development of the textile sector and the establishment of specialised companies, Morocco has set up a special zone regime, which offers multiple advantages:

  • One-stop shop, with a fast process for obtaining permits, which are granted in less than two weeks.
  • Additional advantages, such as training institutes, recruitment support, logistics, connectivity, banking, security, maintenance and other facilities.
  • Five years of exemption from corporation tax; exemption from VAT and customs duties; possibility of conducting transactions in various currencies...

In short, the country offers a predictable business environment that supports the long-term vision of sustainable development:

  • Incentives of up to 30% of investments over $5 million.
  • Tailor-made packages for companies with a turnover of over £15 million.
  • More than fifty agreements signed with other countries to avoid double taxation and protect investors.
  • No restrictions on the repatriation of capital and profits for non-residents.