Morocco, China Sign Customs Agreements to Boost Trade, Security Cooperation

Rabat – Morocco and China signed three major customs agreements on Friday in Brussels to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote safer and more efficient international trade.

Mohamed Zahoui, Director General of Morocco’s Customs and Indirect Tax Administration, and Zhang Baofeng, Deputy Minister of China’s General Administration of Customs, signed the agreements on the sidelines of the annual session of the World Customs Organization.

According to Morocco’s Customs Administration, the agreements aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tackling customs fraud, securing global supply chains, and advancing the digital transformation of customs services.

The first agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters. It establishes a legal framework for exchanging information and carrying out joint cooperation to prevent, detect, and combat customs violations.

The agreement is expected to strengthen efforts against customs fraud, under-invoicing, and false declarations, while improving risk management, protecting public revenues, and facilitating legitimate trade.

The second agreement provides for the mutual recognition of Morocco’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program and its Chinese counterpart. The arrangement will allow both customs administrations to improve risk management, speed up customs procedures, and provide greater predictability for businesses involved in international trade.

Moroccan authorities have said the agreement will help improve the competitiveness of Moroccan companies in the Chinese market while reinforcing Morocco’s position 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. It focuses on cooperation in customs modernization, risk management, trade facilitation, data analysis, and staff training. The agreement also aims to accelerate and improve the processing of requests for administrative assistance between the two customs administrations.

Morocco’s Customs Administration described the signing of the three agreements as a new milestone in customs cooperation between Morocco and China.

The agreements follow the seventh session of the Morocco-China Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, and Technical Cooperation, held in Beijing on December, 2025, where both countries agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in customs affairs.

MWN with MAP