Morocco ranks among the African economies most integrated into industrial value chains, particularly in the automotive and aerospace components sectors, according to a new report by the World Bank Group on economic integration across the continent.
Titled “Integrating Africa: From Threads to Hubs,” the World Bank report found that Morocco generated an average of $496 million in exports through regional value chains between 2015 and 2019.
The report highlighted Morocco’s role in the processed chemicals sector, one of the continent’s most active regional sectors, with trade flows worth around $2.7 billion, primarily involving plastics, fertilizers and chemicals.
Morocco was identified as one of the main contributors to the growth of trade in this sector, reflecting the country’s increasing integration into regional industrial production networks.
The report also examined countries’ upstream participation in global value chains, which involves importing intermediate goods for processing or assembly before they are integrated into further production.
In this area, Morocco’s participation rate exceeded 10% of gross exports in certain sectors, placing the Kingdom among the relatively few African economies to have crossed that threshold.
The World Bank said Morocco’s industrial integration has also been accompanied by a diversification of activities, with the country developing a presence in electronics, pharmaceuticals and automotive wiring systems.
Morocco has thus “carved out a niche” in several of these industries, with some products exported to regional markets in Europe, according to the report.
The document noted that Morocco has already developed regional value chains in sectors of medium complexity, including chemicals, electronics and automotive components.
The report also highlighted Morocco’s expansion into aerospace components and automotive wiring systems, sectors in which the Kingdom has sought to capitalize on its geographical proximity to European markets.
According to the World Bank, this proximity has also enabled Morocco to integrate more closely with European supplier networks, strengthening its position within regional production chains.
The report’s findings point to the growing role of industrial value chains in Morocco’s export economy, with the country increasingly participating not only in the export of finished products but also in the processing and assembly of intermediate goods.
This industrial integration reflects Morocco’s broader shift toward higher-value manufacturing activities and greater diversification of its industrial base.
The World Bank’s assessment places Morocco among the African economies that have made significant progress in connecting domestic production capabilities with regional and global industrial value chains, particularly in sectors linked to European markets.
