Attijariwafa Bank joins China's CIPS payment system

Attijariwafa Bank has announced its integration into China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), a framework designed for processing international transactions in renminbi (RMB). This move is intended to streamline commercial and financial transactions between Morocco and China, providing corporate and institutional clients with more efficient payment channels.

By utilizing CIPS, the bank aims to reduce the complexities and delays typically associated with traditional banking routes and multiple intermediaries. The integration utilizes the ISO 20022 international standard for structuring financial data. This development follows a trend among African banking leaders, such as Standard Bank, which gained access to CIPS in 2025.

In addition to the CIPS integration, Attijariwafa Bank announced its membership in the Swift Payments Scheme, an initiative aimed at improving the speed, predictability, and transparency of cross-border payments. The bank plans to deploy this scheme progressively over the coming months to further support international trade and investment flows.