Trade & Investment

Thanks to lower oil prices and improving conditions in its major export markets, Morocco’s trade deficit in 2014 shrank by 6.2% over the previous year and looks set to perform even better in 2015. Levels of foreign direct investment, especially from France, have grown substantially in recent years, boosted by investor incentives and good infrastructure, though they could be higher still if more progress were made on enhancing the ease of doing business and addressing challenges such as corruption. Outward investment has also been on the rise – the average in the 10 years to 2013 was up 12-fold on the previous decade – much of it moving south of the Sahara, where Morocco is emerging as a regional economic power.

This chapter contains interviews with Hamid Ben Elafdil, Director-General, Invest in Morocco; and Dominic Jermey, CEO, UK Trade & Investment.