Foreign Trade: Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco Forge Strategic Partnership to Boost Exports

On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency hosted a delegation from the Kingdom of Morocco, led by Mr. Omar Hejira, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The meeting reflects both countries’ commitment to strengthening economic ties and building a strategic, win-win partnership.

Mr. Hejira highlighted that Côte d’Ivoire is currently Morocco’s top client and its eighth-largest supplier. The goal is now to position Abidjan as Morocco’s primary supplier in the long term, through a structured cooperation framework and concrete joint actions.

Key Areas of Collaboration

Several areas of collaboration were identified during the meeting:

·        The creation of an economic steering group bringing together the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency and public and private actors from both countries.

·        Participation of Côte d’Ivoire in the Economic Forum in Casablanca (June 2026) and the Export Fair in Fès (2027).

Priority sectors with strong growth and trade diversification potential were also defined, including:

·        Agro-industry (with a focus on cocoa and derivatives, coffee, cashew, tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples, as well as rubber and cotton)

·        Textiles

·        Automotive

·        Cosmetics

·        Handicrafts

High-level Delegations

The Moroccan delegation included several influential figures, including Mr. El Mansouri Khalid, President of the Béni Mellal-Khénifra Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Benabdallah Hamza, President of the Fès-Meknès Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr. Halhoul Nour-Eddine, Minister Plenipotentiary at the Moroccan Embassy; and representatives from consular institutions and professional organizations.

On the Ivorian side, Mr. Mamadou Samassi, Special Advisor to the Director General, and the leadership team of the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency participated. For Dr. Kaladji Fadiga, Director General of the Agency, this meeting fully aligns with the national strategy to position Morocco as a key commercial partner. He recalled that several trade missions were conducted in Morocco in 2025, culminating in the signing of a framework agreement with AMDIE on December 23, 2025.

A Strategic Step Forward

With this strengthened cooperation framework, Côte d’Ivoire aims to leverage opportunities provided by Moroccan authorities to boost exports, diversify markets, and consolidate bilateral economic relations. This initiative marks a decisive step in enhancing Ivorian foreign trade and developing regional exchanges.