The Moroccan Association of Textile and Clothing Industries (AMITH) and the Swiss Textile Federation signed a memorandum of understanding in Bern on Monday.
The agreement, signed in the presence of Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour and Swiss Federal Councillor for Economy, Training, and Research Guy Parmelin, aims to promote partnership between sector representatives in both countries and address the challenges of competitiveness.
Industry stakeholders are counting on the memorandum to strengthen relations with Swiss investors and customers to establish momentum for integration between the two countries' textile sectors, AMITH president Anas El Ansari told MAP.
"Moroccan textiles are advanced in the ready-to-wear industry, but the problem of raw fabrics persists. This is why professionals are keen to see Swiss units set up on the Moroccan market to supply this raw product, thus strengthening our ability to access new European and American markets," he said.
"The Swiss and Moroccan textile sectors are complementary," he stressed, adding that each generates annual sales of around 6 billion euros, with some 1,500 companies employing 220,000 workers on the Moroccan side and 20,000 in Swiss units.
For his part, Carl Illi, President of the Swiss Textile Federation, said he was "optimistic" about the promising prospects for cooperation between professionals in Morocco and Switzerland to meet common interests in a sector facing the challenges of global geopolitical transformations.
He also praised the sector's level of performance in Morocco, based on extensive experience and a skilled workforce, underscoring the importance of an evolving collaboration in line with the growth of cooperation and exchanges between the two countries.
Besides facilitating trade to encourage the sector's exports and imports, the agreement also aims to organize joint events such as seminars, workshops, and meetings between entrepreneurs to further the sector's interests in both countries.
