Morocco urges full activation of African Continental Free Trade Area at Marrakech forum

At the Marrakech Parliamentary Forum, Moroccan leaders called for accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to shift from traditional trade to joint production, investment and manufacturing. Council of the Counselors chairman Mohamed Ould Rashid said full implementation could add about $450 billion to the continent’s income and lift roughly 30 million people out of extreme poverty.

Speakers highlighted that intra‑African trade currently accounts for only about 15% of total African trade, far below the 70% share inside the EU. They urged massive investment in infrastructure, energy, logistics and skills, and stressed the need to link European and African value chains, as noted by Mediterranean Parliament president Julio Santimiro. The forum emphasized the strategic importance of turning Africa’s natural resources into added‑value products through regional cooperation.