Editing Economy of Morocco (section)

==Industry==
[[File:Morocco GDP Sector.jpg|thumb|450px|Moroccan GDP by sector. (1980–2007).]]
The Moroccan industrial sector looks set to continue the strong growth it has enjoyed in recent years. Industrial activity recorded a 5.5% increase in 2007, a slight rise over 2006, when the sector grew by 4.7%. Added value in the sector increased by 5.6% in 2007. Overall the contribution of industrial activity to GDP fluctuates between about 25% and 35% every year, depending on the performance of the agriculture sector. The industrial sector accounted for about 21.1% of employment in 2007 and the sector is a key component of the government's effort to curb unemployment. The sector also attracts high levels of FDI and authorities have announced initiatives to improve the investment climate, with particular attention to off-shoring activities, automotive, aeronautics, electronics, food processing activities, products from the sea and textiles. Other important industrial sectors include mining, chemicals, construction materials and pharmaceuticals. The future of Morocco's industrial segment looks bright, particularly as new initiatives make it more globally competitive in a variety of sectors.<ref name="oxfordbusinessgroup.com">{{cite web |title=Country Business Intelligence Reports: Morocco |url=http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/publication.asp?country=27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825013835/http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/publication.asp?country=27 |archive-date=25 August 2009 |access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref>

===Manufacturing===
[[File:Marrakech tanneries (2847700696).jpg|thumb|400px|Tanneries in [[Marrakech]]]]
Manufacturing accounts for about one-sixth of GDP and is steadily growing in importance in the economy. Two particularly important components of Morocco's industrial makeup are processing [[raw materials]] for export and manufacturing consumer goods for the domestic market. Many operations date to the [[French Morocco|colonial period]]. Until the early 1980s, government involvement was dominant and the major focus was on import substitution. Since then the emphasis has shifted to privatizing state operations and attracting new private [[Investment in Morocco|investment]], including foreign sources.

Processing phosphate ore into [[fertilizers]] and [[phosphoric acid]] for export is a major economic activity. Food processing for export (canning fish, fresh vegetables, and fruit) as well as for domestic needs (flour milling and sugar refining) is also important, and the manufacture of [[textiles]] and clothes using domestically produced cotton and wool is a major source of foreign exchange. Morocco's iron and steel manufacturing industry is small but provides a significant share of the country's domestic needs.

The manufacturing sector produces light consumer goods, especially foodstuffs, beverages, textiles, matches, and metal and leather products. Heavy industry is largely limited to [[petroleum refining]], chemical fertilizers, automobile and tractor assembly, foundry work, asphalt, and cement. Many of the processed agricultural products and consumer goods are primarily for local consumption, but Morocco exports canned fish and fruit, wine, leather goods, and textiles, as well as such traditional Moroccan handicrafts as carpets and brass, copper, silver, and wood implements.

Ownership in the manufacturing sector is largely private. The government owns the phosphate-chemical fertilizer industry and much of the sugar-milling capacity, through either partnership or joint financing. It is also a major participant in the car and truck assembly industry and in tire manufacturing.

===Automotives===
The automotive sector is already Morocco's leading export sector and has made Morocco the leading car manufacturer in Africa. Morocco's fast integration into the global economy was also facilitated by numerous free trade agreements with the United States and the European Union. These agreements contributed undoubtedly in a positive way towards the emergence of export activities in the country. 
Foreign direct investment has been expanding as companies are attracted towards the favorable economic situation of the country, government support through their numerous initiatives, such as tax exemptions for the first 5 years and VAT exemptions, modern infrastructure, and a skilled workforce. 
Moreover, the automotive sector has the strongest job creation; 85.000 new jobs were created in the sector between 2014 and 2018, bringing the total jobs in the sector to 158’000.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://aimsinternational.com/2019/03/morocco-the-leading-car-manufacturer-in-africa/ |title=Morocco; the leading car manufacturer in Africa – AIMS International |access-date=15 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115090601/https://aimsinternational.com/2019/03/morocco-the-leading-car-manufacturer-in-africa/ |archive-date=15 November 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Textiles===
[[Textiles]] form a major industry in Morocco. The [[European Union]] is Morocco's top client in regards to textiles and clothing, with [[France]] importing 46% of hosiery, 28.5% of basic textile and 27.6% of ready-to-wear clothing from Morocco, managing director of the Moroccan Export Development Center underlined.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/eu_top_client_of_mor/view |title=Archived copy |access-date=28 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322150615/http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/eu_top_client_of_mor/view |archive-date=22 March 2012}}</ref> Recalling that Morocco's textile and clothing exports totaled some $3.7 billion in 2007, Saad Benabdallah ascribed this performance to the many assets that Morocco enjoys, namely, geographical proximity, flexibility, sourcing skills and the multiple opportunities offered by Free Trade Agreements with the [[European Union]], [[United States]] and [[Turkey]].

===Mining===
{{main|Mining industry of Morocco}}
The mining sector is one of the pillars of Morocco's economy. It represented a turnover of US$2.7 billion in 2005, including MAD 2.17 billion in exports and 20% of energy consumption. It also employs about 39,000 people with an estimated MAD 571 million in salaries (2005). Morocco produces a number of minerals and metals, most importantly, phosphates, silver and lead.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20190907050330/http://www.moroccobusinessnews.com/Sectors/Energy_Mining.asp]}}

Morocco possesses 75 percent of the world's phosphate reserves.  It is the world's first exporter (28% of the global market) and third producer (20% of global production). In 2005, Morocco produced 27.254 million tons of phosphates and 5.895 million tons of phosphate derivatives.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20190907050330/http://www.moroccobusinessnews.com/Sectors/Energy_Mining.asp]}}