Morocco Local Manufacturing: The 2026–2030 Strategic Framework Agreement

1. Key takeaways

On February 4, 2026, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, the Minister of Industry and Trade, the Director General of the AMMPS, the President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the President of the Moroccan Federation of the Health Industry (FMIS) jointly signed, at the second “Medical Device Day”, a strategic framework agreement for 2026 to 2030. Its goals are to develop the local medical device industry, reduce import dependence and secure supply chains. 85% to 90% of Moroccan domestic demand is still met by imports. The agreement itself does not change the registration rules under Law No. 84-12, but it will change the competitive conditions around them. For foreign manufacturers, the document is best read as a signal of where policy support will flow over the next five years — not as a new legal obligation, but as a map of future advantages and disadvantages. Its practical weight lies in expectations rather than in enforceable text, which is precisely why the derived measures, once codified, deserve close attention.

2. Legal basis

Practical estimate note: the 85% to 90% import-dependence figure comes from public statements by Moroccan authorities and industry; the signatories and the four measures come from public official and media reports. The agreement is a policy document and does not directly create registration obligations.

3. Expert insights

Insight 1: the agreement does not amend the registration rules, but it will change the certificate-holding structure. Paragraph 2 of Article 12 allows manufacturing establishments to hold the registration certificate. If the local manufacturing share rises, more Moroccan manufacturing establishments will hold certificates, and the model in which foreign manufacturers rely on importers for licensing will weaken relatively. Manufacturers from the Chinese mainland should evaluate early whether they intend to remain exporters or to become local producers. The evaluation is not only commercial: certificate-holding structure determines who controls the registration file, who answers the authority in vigilance and recall situations, and who bears the corresponding post-market duties.

Insight 2: Article 7 is open to foreign investors as well. The declaration subject for a manufacturing establishment is an establishment “belonging to a natural or legal person”, and Law 84-12 places no restriction on the source of its capital. After setting up a manufacturing or assembly entity in Morocco, a manufacturer can declare under Article 7 and, under paragraph 2 of Article 12, hold the certificate directly. This path keeps the registration file in the manufacturer’s own hands while still operating through a locally declared establishment.

Insight 3: among the four measures, “cooperation between Moroccan and international companies” is the most direct entry point. The measures listed in the agreement are: promoting local production to substitute imports; supporting manufacturing enterprises through investment and export support programs; encouraging cooperation between Moroccan and international companies; and strengthening talent development. The third is the most welcoming to foreign manufacturers — joint ventures and technical cooperation are the encouraged formats. It is also the measure that requires the least irreversible commitment: a technical cooperation or licensing arrangement can be scaled up or wound down far more easily than a greenfield plant.

Insight 4: in the short term the market remains an import track, and there is no need to rush localization. Import dependence of 85% to 90% means imports will remain the main supply mode for several years, and the registration threshold of Article 12 has not been adjusted by the agreement. Localizing too early risks unnecessary fixed investment ahead of any concrete policy benefit. The sensible posture is to keep the import track fully compliant and running while the localization decision is prepared as an option, with the trigger points defined in advance rather than improvised under competitive pressure.

Insight 5: once policy dividends are codified, they change the conditions of competition. If investment subsidies, tax incentives or local-procurement preferences are enacted, companies that have not localized may find themselves disadvantaged in tenders. Tracking the derived policy texts is therefore more important than tracking the agreement itself. Each derived text — a subsidy program, a tax measure, a procurement preference — converts a general aspiration into a concrete factor in tender scoring and investment arithmetic, and each should enter the regulatory watch list the day it is published.

4. Practical recommendations

1. Plan in three phases. Short term (0–12 months): import registration. Medium term (1–3 years): evaluate a joint venture or technical cooperation. Long term: decide on a plant based on enacted policy.
2. Prefer license-holding partners with manufacturing potential. Establishments whose declared activities include “manufacturing”, or that have assembly capability, are better positioned than purely trading importers to absorb policy dividends.
3. Track the derived policy texts. Put investment, tax and local-procurement-preference texts on the regulatory watch list rather than following only the agreement itself.
4. Evaluate the certificate benefit of local assembly. A manufacturing establishment established in Morocco can hold the certificate directly under paragraph 2 of Article 12, removing dependence on an importer.
5. Use the agreement as business communication material. When discussing cooperation with Moroccan partners, the agreement is a shared policy context that helps frame the relationship.

5. Verification checklist

• □ The agreement’s signing date (February 4, 2026) and signatories have been confirmed
• □ It has been confirmed that the agreement does not directly amend the registration rules of Law 84-12
• □ The feasibility of direct certificate-holding by a local manufacturing establishment under paragraph 2 of Article 12 has been assessed
• □ The project plan separates short-term import registration from medium- and long-term localization
• □ Policy texts derived from the agreement are on the regulatory watch list
• □ The manufacturing or assembly capability of candidate license-holding partners has been assessed
• □ Discussions on cooperation formats have been opened with Moroccan partners

Regulatory information verified as of October 30, 2026

Post-market support from GRZAN. GRZAN provides post-market compliance support for medical device manufacturers and importers serving the Moroccan market, covering materiovigilance reporting, recall and withdrawal execution, and inspection and enforcement response. If you are planning your market strategy around the 2026–2030 framework agreement and need your post-market obligations kept current, contact info@grzanglobal.com.