Morocco, France to promote textile sector

France and Morocco called for developing their cooperation in the textile sector to adapt to globalisation and face competition through "a strategic euro-Mediterranean partnership."

During a two-day meeting between French and Moroccan textile industrialists, opened here Thursday, chairman of the Union of Textile Industry (UIT), Guillaume Sarkozy called Moroccan and French to materialise their cooperation to prospect and gain other markets, face the Asian competition, adapt to globalisation and increase the added value.

European companies are more than ever motivated to invest in Morocco especially after its FTA with the USA since these companies will benefit from tax-free exports to the USA, pointed out Sarkozy, who is heading the French industrialists group.

He said that the means to face the Asian competition, which "does not always respect WTO standards," is to provide high quality products, to study world markets and meet clients needs.

The liberalisation of the textile sector has created a fierce competition especially from Asian countries, said Karim Abdelaziz Tazi, chairman of the Moroccan Association of the Textile and Clothing Sectors (AMITH), adding that AMITH has found that a strategic partnership with the EU is the key word to face this "unfair competition."

Moroccan Textile industrials worry about the impact of the sector liberalisation, but this is normal at a this phase of transition, said Minister of Industry, Trade and Economy Upgrading, Sallah Eddine Mezouar.

The Moroccan government has taken a series of measures to make the textile sector more competitive and be up to the strategic partnership with the EU and especially with France.

It's a qualitative partnership through which we will set up new manufacturing units, share technologies and know-how and diversify our products, Mezouar said.