China has formally proposed a free trade agreement with Morocco, the North African kingdom's Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour said in an interview. Moroccan authorities are currently studying the offer to determine whether closer economic ties with Beijing would be advantageous for the country's manufacturing exporters.
Mezzour described the proposal as being under active consideration but stressed that Rabat has not commenced formal negotiations. The government is reviewing the potential economic implications of a deal before taking the next steps.
The minister noted that a trade agreement with China could expand market access for local manufacturers and support Morocco's strategy of diversifying trade relationships beyond its traditional European partners. Over the past two decades Morocco has developed a range of manufacturing activities, including in the automobile, aerospace and battery sectors, industries that have been important to the country's export growth.
Morocco already maintains free trade agreements with multiple partners, including the European Union and the United States. Mezzour said any new pact with China would need to be weighed against those existing arrangements to understand how it might interact with current commitments.
"We need to evaluate what impact it would have on our economy" and how it might affect our other free trade agreements, Mezzour said, underlining the need for a careful assessment of cross-effects before proceeding.
The minister also confirmed that Morocco is pursuing a separate free trade agreement with Chile. He said that agreement is expected to support higher exports, citing automobiles as an example of goods that could reach the South American Mercosur trade bloc more easily if the deal is finalized.
Mezzour emphasized that any new trade arrangement with China would require consultation with businesses and government stakeholders. Those consultations would form a core part of the evaluation process that precedes any formal talks, the minister said.
Bottom line - Morocco is assessing a Chinese proposal for a free trade agreement but has not started negotiations. The government will consult industry and weigh the proposed deal against existing trade accords as it determines the next steps.