Morocco's automotive exports surge 12.1% to nearly 42 billion dirhams in the first quarter

Tuesday 05 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco's automotive exports surge 12.1% to nearly 42 billion dirhams in the first quarter

Morocco's automotive sector delivered a strong export performance in the opening quarter of 2026, with sales abroad reaching nearly 42 billion dirhams by the end of March, a 12.1% increase compared to the same period a year earlier. The figures, released by the Office des Changes in its latest monthly bulletin on external trade indicators, confirm the sector's continued role as the country's leading export engine.

The growth was driven by two key segments. The construction segment posted the sharpest gain, rising 23.7% to reach 16.88 billion dirhams, while the wiring segment expanded 10.9% to 16.04 billion dirhams. Together, these two components account for the bulk of automotive export revenues and their combined acceleration reflects sustained international demand for Moroccan-manufactured automotive components, particularly from European assembly plants that rely on Moroccan suppliers within their production chains.

The aeronautics sector also contributed positively to Morocco's overall export picture, improving its performance by 12.6% to approximately 8 billion dirhams. This progress was fueled by growth in the assembly segment, which advanced 18.6%, and in the Electrical Wiring Interconnection System division, which edged up 1.6%. The aeronautics sector's expansion signals the deepening integration of Moroccan industrial capacity into global aerospace supply chains, a development underpinned by years of targeted investment in technical training and infrastructure.

Not all sectors shared in the gains, however. Textile and leather exports contracted by 14.1%, while phosphates and derivatives fell 7.4%. Electronics and electricity dropped 4.7%, and agriculture and agri-food declined 2.3%. Despite these sectoral declines, total Moroccan exports rose 3.3% to 120.7 billion dirhams at the end of March 2026, underscoring the automotive industry's outsized contribution to keeping the overall trade balance on an upward path.