France is Morocco's second largest trading partner, with annual trade flows exceeding €12 billion. Historical ties, a large MRE community, EU-Morocco trade agreements and the recognized quality of French products: all reasons why thousands of Moroccan companies source from France every year. This guide covers all practical aspects to succeed in importing from France: from supplier selection to final delivery, including customs clearance at Casablanca or Tangier Med.
Why France remains a strategic partner
France holds a privileged place in Moroccan foreign trade for several structural reasons:
- Historical and linguistic ties: French remains the language of business in Morocco, facilitating negotiations and contracts.
- Morocco-EU association agreement: customs exemption on most products with a valid EUR.1 certificate.
- Strong MRE community in France: over 1.5 million Moroccans living in France maintain constant commercial and personal flows.
- Recognized quality and strict standards: French products are CE-certified, AOC/AOP for food, with solid contractual guarantees.
- Mature logistics: Marseille-Fos, Sète, Le Havre ports serve Morocco daily.
Top import sectors from France include premium food, automotive (manufacturers and equipment makers), cosmetics and perfumes, industrial machinery, luxury goods, and MRE personal vehicles.
Top sectors of France-Morocco imports
| Sector | Iconic products | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive | Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, equipment parts | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Cosmetics & perfumes | L'Oréal, Yves Rocher, Sephora, niche brands | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Premium food | Wine, cheese, dairy, canned goods | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Machinery & equipment | Construction, food processing, packaging | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Fashion & luxury | Garments, leather goods, accessories | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pharmacy | Medicines, medical devices | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| MRE vehicles | Personal cars imported by Moroccans living in France | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Our firm particularly assists MRE clients with the importation of their personal vehicle from France, as well as retail and industrial companies.
France-Morocco transport: ocean, road, air
1. Ocean freight via Marseille-Fos or Sète
Southern French ports are the main hubs to Morocco. Marseille-Fos serves Casablanca in 4 to 6 days, and Sète offers regular Ro-Ro links to Tangier Med. For FCL containers, count €800 to €1,500 for a 20-foot Marseille-Casablanca.
2. Road transit via Spain
Very popular for urgent shipments or MRE: a French truck crosses Spain and embarks at Algeciras for Tangier Med. Door-to-door delay: 4 to 6 days from Paris, 3-4 days from Lyon or Bordeaux.
3. Express air freight
For urgent parcels, samples or critical parts: Air France Cargo and Royal Air Maroc Cargo operate daily flights to Casablanca. Delay: 24 to 48h with high cost (€5 to €10 per kg minimum).
📦 For MRE clients
If you are a Moroccan living in France and want to ship your personal belongings or your vehicle, contact our firm. We handle MRE procedures from start to finish with the tax exemptions provided by Moroccan law.
Documentary file and EUR.1 certificate
To benefit from EU-Morocco preferential tariff, the EUR.1 movement certificate is central. It certifies the European origin of your goods and triggers customs exemption. Procedure:
- Your French supplier requests it from their local customs (Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects) before shipment.
- The form is validated and stamped by the French authority, then attached to the shipping documents.
- On arrival in Morocco, your customs broker presents it with the BADR customs declaration.
- For shipments under €6,000, a simple invoice declaration by the approved exporter is sufficient.
Mandatory complementary documents: commercial invoice, packing list, B/L or CMR, import commitment endorsed by your bank, certificate of conformity according to product. Our how to import goods to Morocco guide details each document.
Customs clearance in Morocco and cost estimate
Customs clearance is handled via PORTNET and BADR systems by an ADII-licensed customs broker. Standard delay: 24 to 48h for a compliant file.
Example: cosmetics import (CIF value MAD 200,000)
| Item | Amount (MAD) |
|---|---|
| CIF value | 200,000 |
| Import duty (with EUR.1) | 0 |
| TPI (0.25%) | 500 |
| Import VAT (20%) | 40,100 |
| Broker fees | ~2,000 |
| Total cleared | 242,600 |
Savings achieved through EUR.1 (vs 25% standard duty on cosmetics) reach MAD 50,000 on this operation. Cosmetics also require notification to the Direction du Médicament before commercialization.