Doha – Morocco’s ambassador in China, Abdelkader El Ansari, has the growing role of the country as a strategic center for Chinese investors in detail, seeking access to European, American and African markets, especially in the electrical sector (electric vehicle).
In a far -reaching interview With the Chinese economy, Caixin accentuated El Ansari Morocco’s integrated industrial ecosystem and modern infrastructure.
“Morocco has an integrated industrial ecosystem that facilitates the installation of new companies,” he emphasized the strategic advantages of the country for foreign investments.
El Ansari pressed the Tanger Med Port of Tanger -Med skillsAnd claimed that “vehicles that were produced on site can reach Europe in less than a day, the United States in a week and several African countries in a few days.”
The ambassador outlined Morocco’s developmental path and explained: “In 20 to 25 years, Morocco has built up an environment that is beneficial for investments through tax incentives, modern infrastructure and trade open.”
He pointed out the 56 kingdom of the kingdom with various countries and regions, which made access to international markets easier.
El Ansari was addressed with the growth of the automotive sector and revealed that “more than 250 international companies are integrated into the Moroccian automotive supply chain and contributed to the one year. production to almost 900,000 vehicles, 85% of which are exported to 75 countries. This dynamic is Morocco as a leading producer of cars in Africa. “
The latest Chinese investments in the EV sector Morocco were considerable. According to El Ansari, large Chinese companies such as the Yahua Group, Huayou Cobalt and Gothion High-Tech announced between 2023 and 2024, which represents a cumulative investment of over 33 billion yuan (approx. 4.6 billion US dollars).
Chinese presidential visit and EV industrial development
The stronger relationship between Morocco and China was further crystallized in November 2024 from the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Morocco.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan greeted President XI at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, where the Chinese leader took part in traditional welcome ceremonies and was convened with important civil servants, including head of the Aziz Akhannouch government.
The visit was perfectly used with some groundbreaking movements in the EV scene in Morocco. Gothion High-Tech committed $ 1.3 billion for the construction of the first EV battery in Africa.giga -actNear Rabat, the BTR New Material Group and Shinzoom invested 300 million US dollars or 690 million US dollars in the production of battery components.
Experts cited in a South China Morning Post Report illuminated Morocco’s strategic advantages. David Shinn from George Washington University and François Conradie by Oxford Economics Africa Catalogized key factors for Chinese investments.
You have set the proximity of Moroccos to European markets, reserves of important battery materials such as lithium and phosphate as well as the production of Green Energy as the main attractions for investors.
Chatham House Associate Fellow Ahmed Aboudouh warned This “Morocco role as a workaround for Chinese EV companies could put it at the center of the great electricity competition”.
This comes because the EU has to do tariffs of up to 35.3% for Chinese EV imports, while the United States increased the tariffs from 25% to 100%.
The bilateral relationship continues to flourish, with El Ansari determining that the trade exchange between the two nations increased by 13.9% in 2023, while Chinese direct investments in Morocco advanced by 20.2%.
He also announced that Resumption From direct flights from Beijing-Casablanca in January, which shortens the travel time to less than 14 hours, he is expected to continue catalyzing the Sino-Moroccan exchange.
