Rabat – On Friday in Brussels, Morocco and China finalized three significant customs agreements aimed at enhancing their strategic partnership and promoting safer, more efficient international trade.
The agreements were signed by Mohamed Zahoui, Director General of Morocco’s Customs and Indirect Tax Administration, and Zhang Baofeng, Deputy Minister of China’s General Administration of Customs, during the annual session of the World Customs Organization.
As per Morocco’s Customs Administration, these agreements are designed to reinforce bilateral collaboration in combating customs fraud, securing global supply chains, and driving the digital transformation of customs services.
The first agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, which establishes a legal framework for sharing information and executing joint initiatives to prevent, detect, and address customs violations.
This agreement is anticipated to enhance efforts against customs fraud, under-invoicing, and false declarations, while also improving risk management, safeguarding public revenue, and facilitating legitimate trade.
The second agreement involves mutual recognition of Morocco’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program alongside its Chinese equivalent, aimed at enhancing risk management, expediting customs procedures, and offering greater predictability for businesses engaged in international trade.
Moroccan officials suggest that this agreement will bolster the competitiveness of Moroccan companies in the Chinese market, reinforcing Morocco’s role as a regional hub for trade, logistics, and investment.
The third agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding between the customs authorities of the Port of Casablanca and the Port of Ningbo. This agreement focuses on cooperation in customs modernization, risk management, trade facilitation, data analysis, and staff training, aiming to streamline and enhance the processing of administrative assistance requests between the two customs agencies.
Morocco’s Customs Administration characterized the signing of these agreements as a significant milestone in customs cooperation between Morocco and China.
These agreements come on the heels of the seventh session of the Morocco-China Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, and Technical Cooperation, which took place in Beijing in December 2025, during which both nations agreed to enhance their cooperation in customs matters.
MWN with MAP
