On 7 November 2024, EURATEX (the European Apparel and Textile Confederation) and AMITH (Association Marocaine des Industries du Textile et de l’Habillement) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the 21st edition of Maroc in Mode (MIM 2024) in Casablanca. This MoU aims to foster deeper collaboration and mutual growth within the European and Moroccan textile and clothing (T&C) industries.
The two associations set out a number of shared priorities, including aligning industry practices with European sustainability and circularity standards, addressing customs and regulatory challenges, and strengthening the investment and business climate between the two regions. The agreement highlights EURATEX and AMITH’s commitment to advancing competitiveness in the global textile market, supporting a seamless and cohesive approach to trade under the revised rules of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, which were due to take effect on 1 January 2025.
This partnership also opens new avenues for information exchange on industrial technology, cross-border business initiatives, and collaborative skill development projects. By enhancing cooperation in these areas, EURATEX and AMITH are working to create a sustainable, resilient, and globally competitive Euro-Mediterranean textile industry.
“The EU-Morocco textile connection has vast untapped potential,” said Mario Jorge Machado, EURATEX President. “Through our collaboration with AMITH, we aim to fortify both regions’ textile sectors, embracing sustainability and competitiveness as core values. This MoU is a meaningful step toward our shared vision of a thriving Euro-Mediterranean textile ecosystem.”
“This Memorandum of Understanding is important for AMITH as it will help us achieve our mission: drive the continuous development of the Moroccan industry and help companies rise to new levels of excellence and sustainability” commented El Ansari Anass, AMITH President.
For Moroccan exporters, the practical value of the agreement lies in closer contact with European industry on sustainability rules, customs questions and the new PEM origin rules, all of which shape access to their main market.
For more on Morocco’s EU market access, rules of origin and trade partnerships, see Kohan Textile Journal’s Morocco Textile Trade Hub. AMITH has also pursued parallel cooperation with the Netherlands — see Kohan Textile Journal’s coverage of the AMITH-CBI partnership with the Netherlands.
