U.S. Corporations and Organizations in Morocco

Why Morocco?

Many American companies have a keen interest in operating in Morocco. The Kingdom is one of the major economic and political players in Africa as a whole and especially in the North Africa region.

It acts as a gateway, providing companies with access to the rest of the continent through several major port cities. It also has a stable, open, and growing economy.

King Mohammed VI has created economic policies with the goal of attracting foreign investment and stimulating domestic productivity, and since 1993 Morocco has privatized several major industries.

King Mohammed VI has also initiated major social programs that have significantly improved the quality of life for average Moroccans over the past two decades and helped create a middle class.

This large – and growing – middle class has some disposable income and an interest in many consumer goods, motivating American companies to enter the market.

Morocco also has several major industries requiring technology and inputs from American companies. Agriculture, including crops such as oranges, olives, wheat, barley, tomatoes, potatoes, and almonds, makes up 15% of the GDP and employs about 45% of the population.

While much is still done traditionally by hand with few inputs, large corporate farms require machinery and inputs that can be supplied by American corporations such as John Deere and Monsanto.

At the same time, many charitable organizations are still at work in the country trying to achieve basic goals such as universal clean water access, literacy, and equal education for girls.

While Morocco has the 5th largest GDP in Africa, there is a significant gap between rural and urban areas.

Rural poverty remains a problem, even while people in urban areas have access to water, electricity, and education.

While the King has allocated funding for rural improvement, local corruption, lack of accountability, and limited local capacity to effectively utilize the funding mean that benefits are slow to appear.

US Companies in Morocco

In urban areas, the government and various organizations are working to address unemployment, poverty, and drug use.

Despite its challenges, Morocco has undergone rapid economic and technological growth over the past several decades and will continue to be a leader in the North Africa-Middle East region with excellent prospects for future growth.

For these reasons, many American companies and organizations operate in Morocco, including everything from small field offices to large-scale manufacturing centers to volunteer-led projects.

Many well-known American companies have a strong presence in Morocco. Some brands, such as DHL, FedEx, Hilton, Hertz, Shell Oil, KFC, Subway, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, are immediately visible when visiting any urban center.

There are hints of others in their products at grocery stores, pharmacies, and large retailers – Colgate Palmolive, Microsoft, Phillip Morris, HP, Pfizer, Nike, Apple, Eli Lilly, and Kraft Foods.

Still others, such as 3M, Boeing, Dow Chemical, Ingersoll Rand, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Union Carbide, Otis Elevators, and Mobil Oil have a lower profile but are important to industrial, telecom, and agricultural sectors.

Generally, the presence of American companies in Morocco is a good thing. They may offer products and services not currently available from Morocco companies; they may provide job opportunities and training to Moroccans and help support a diversified market and diffusion of technology.

However, not all foreign companies benefit the population as whole. Phillip Morris International (PMI), a major cigarette manufacturer, has had an office in Morocco since 1982 to support its Marlboro cigarette brand.

In 2009, PMI signed a licensing agreement allowing Altadis Maroc to manufacture Marlboro locally. Later that year, they formed Phillip Morris Maroc S.A.R.L., a PMI affiliate company. Based in Casablanca, it employs about 70 people.

US Non Profit Organizations in Morocco

Among the charitable organizations in Morocco is CARE, an American humanitarian organization that works to save lives, alleviate poverty, and achieve social justice in developing countries around the world.

CARE began its work in Morocco in 2007, joining King Mohammed VI’s National Initiative for Human Development.

The Initiative focuses on increasing access to public services, promoting employment opportunities, and providing socioeconomic assistance to disadvantaged Moroccans.

CARE supports these goals through in-country partnerships with the government and other local and international organizations. Much of their work centers on youth and rural-urban inequality.

The U.S. Peace Corps is active in Morocco, with over 5,000 volunteers serving in the country since 1963. Current work focuses on youth development, including supporting leadership skills, girls’ education, and professional networks.

Volunteers facilitate activities such as environmental projects, sports and exercise classes, library access, and self-esteem building activities for girls.

BLOOM – Building Lives of Orphans from Morocco – is a small, unique non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of children in orphanages in Morocco with mental and psycho-social support. Founded by two sisters who had both adopted children from Morocco.

BLOOM aims to enrich the lives of children in orphanages by creating safe spaces for play, providing mental health resources and funding for additional caregivers, and advocating for the adoption of Moroccan children.

Their current campaign focuses on creating sensory gardens so that children can play outside in safe spaces with engaging features.

Not all American organizations operating in Morocco are charitable organizations. Some, like U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), are industry groups that promote and facilitate the export of American products to Morocco.

From its office in Casablanca, USW helps inform Moroccan customers and relevant officials about the U.S. wheat marketing system, U.S. wheat quality and types, and ideal uses for different wheats.

While their goal is promoting U.S. industry, groups like USW are generally beneficial to both countries as they facilitate trade of essential, high-quality agricultural imports.

American companies and charity organizations represent a broad variety of industries and interests.

Thanks to the progressive attitudes of both countries and the friendly relationship that has existed between them for decades, trade and involvement is likely to grow in the future, bringing benefits to both sides of the Atlantic.

Listing of American Companies in Morocco