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Important Information on Western Sahara
New Zealand’s bilateral relationship with Morocco is friendly but mostly limited to trade.
Exports to Morocco for the year to December 2007 amounted to NZ$32 million, down from $39 million in 2006, and significantly down on its peak of $51 million in 1997. The increase in 1997 can be attributed to a Moroccan armed forces delegation visit to New Zealand in May 1996 to assess the potential for sourcing its meat requirements from New Zealand. Subsequent purchases of sheep meat and beef (9,000 tonnes) boosted exports. Butter, however, remains the most important export from New Zealand - it represented 55% of New Zealand exports in 2007. New Zealand imported goods (primarily phosphates and fertilisers) from Morocco to the value of $157.2 million in the year to December 2007.
In 1998, the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce signed a business cooperation agreement with the Confederation General des Enterprises du Maroc. top of page
Official Name -
Kingdom of Morocco
Land Area -
710,850 sq km (including the disputed territory of the Western Sahara which covers
252,120 sq km)
Population
-
31.3 million (2007 EIU estimates, including Western Sahara)
Capital City -
Rabat
Language -
Arabic. Berber languages, French (for business) and Spanish are also used.
Religion -
Muslim (98%)
Currency - 1 Moroccan Dirham (Dh) = 100 centimes
Exchange rate - US $1 = Dh 8.19 (2007 average)
Political system -
Constitutional monarchy, in which the king is the dominant political figure with a dual role as temporal leader and spiritual and moral guide
National government -
Council of Ministers, chosen and headed by the Prime Minister. The king appoints the prime minister and approves appointments to the Council of Ministers
National
legislature -
Bi-cameral Parliament, consisting of a directly elected 325-seat lower House of Representatives and a 270-seat upper Chamber of Advisers indirectly elected by an electoral college
Last elections -
15 September 2000 (Chamber of Advisers); 12 September 2003 (local); 27 September 2002 (House of Representatives)
Next national election due - 2012
Head of State - King Mohammed VI (since July 1999)
Head of Government – Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi
Key Ministers:
Foreign Affairs & Co-operation: Taieb assi-Fihri
Main political parties:
Left and centre-left: Union socialiste des forces populaires (USFP); Parti Istiqal (PI); Parti du progress et du socialisme (PPS); Gauche socialiste unifiée (GSU)
Loyalist: Rassemblement National des Indéépendents (RNI); Union Constitutionelle (UC); Mouvement Populaire (MP); Mouvement National Populaire (MNP); Parti National Démocratique (PND)
Islamist: Parti de la Justice et du Développement (PJD). The country’s largest Islamist movement is the banned al-Adl wal-Ihsane (Justice and Charity).
GDP - US$69 billion (2007 EIU estimate)
Real GDP growth - 2% (2007 EIU estimates)
Exports - US$12.8 billion (2007 EIU estimates)
Imports - US$27.1 billion (2007 EIU estimates)
Current account balance - -US$500 million (2007 EIU estimate)
Inflation 2% (2007 actual)
Gross external debt -US$19.9 billion (2007 EIU estimate)
NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$ 57 million (for year ended December 2008)
Main Exports - Butter (66%); cheese (18%); milk powder (4%); casein (4%)
NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ$ 566 million (for year ended December 2008)
Main Imports - Calcium phosphates (78%); Fertilizers (22%)
The most recent high-level visit from New Zealand to Morocco was undertaken by Trade Minister Hon Phil Goff in January 2008. During the visit a Joint Statement was agreed, outlining New Zealand and Morocco's interest in increasing trade and economic cooperation, specifically in the agriculture, fisheries, aviation, information communication technologies, agricultural- technology, eco-tourism and education sectors. There have been no ministerial visits from Morocco to New Zealand in recent years.
The New Zealand Ambassador in Madrid is cross-accredited to Morocco. In 2007 Morocco formally moved its cross-accreditation to New Zealand from Indonesia to its new embassy in Canberra. There is a Moroccan Consulate-General in Auckland.
The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to Morocco [external link].
