Japanese companies want to rev up in Morocco. In this sense, the Japan-Morocco economic forum, held on February 28 in Casablanca, allowed Japanese businessmen to discuss with their Moroccan counterparts the opportunities to be seized.
Morocco and Japan want to boost their economic relationship, and this mainly involves strengthening ties between Moroccan and Japanese companies. It is in this sense that the economic forum organized on February 28 in Casablanca by the Japanese Foreign Trade Organization (JETRO), in partnership with the Ministry of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies, the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments and Exports (AMDIE). The meeting was placed under the theme: “Morocco and Japan: economic cooperation occupies a place of choice”, and brought together the governmental institutions of the two countries, Moroccan companies and Japanese companies established in Morocco and also a delegation of Japanese companies considering investing in the country.
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Minister Mohcine Jazouli, in his inaugural speech, presented Morocco’s strengths to Japanese investors, inviting them to settle in the kingdom, which also represents a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa. “This meeting of the business world, bringing together the public and private sectors of the two countries, is of major importance specifically for the Kingdom, given the economic power of Japan, ranked third in the world”, he said. he assured, adding that the idea is to strengthen the presence of Japanese operators in Morocco. He also recalled the efforts made by Morocco to decarbonize its industry, calling on Japanese investors to invest in major projects such as green hydrogen on which Morocco is positioning itself. “We invite Japanese companies to take their part in the significant dynamics that Morocco is experiencing”, also launched the Minister Delegate in charge of Investment, Convergence and the Evaluation of Public Policies. For his part, Sasaki Nobuhiko, Chairman and CEO of JETRO highlighted the links that have existed for several decades between Morocco and Japan, recalling the various initiatives undertaken by the two parties to stimulate their economic relations. Ghita Lahlou, Vice-President of the CGEM, for her part, highlighted the importance of Moroccan-Japanese relations which have resulted in the construction of an important ecosystem.
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“Japan represents, today, more than 50,000 jobs in Morocco, with a flow of business of approximately 830 million dollars”, she observed. It should be noted that during the economic forum, two memorandums of understanding were also signed. The first was signed between JETRO and AMDIE and aims to strengthen collaboration between the two entities, reaffirm the commitment of both parties to continue working together to strengthen trade between Morocco and Japan. The second agreement was signed between JETRO and CGEM. Its objective is, among other things, to promote trade and provide the necessary support to operators of both countries in Japan and Morocco.