I. Overview

During the visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco to China in 2016, China and Morocco signed a joint statement on the establishment of the China-Morocco strategic partnership and a number of intergovernmental cooperation agreements, including the Mohammed VI Tanger Tech City project.

Morocco, located just 14 kilometers from continental Europe, is the hub connecting Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Tangier is a coastal city in northern Morocco that occupies the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, forwarding 20% of global trade and about 60% of China-Europe trade volume. The Port Tangier Mediterranean (Tanger Med port) is the largest container port in Africa, whose business involves 186 ports in 77 countries and ranks 23rd among the world's 500 container ports. Well located, Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City is about 15 kilometers from Tangier City and about 40 kilometers from the Mediterranean Port.

The Mediterranean Port

Morocco has signed bilateral free trade agreements with the European Union, the United States and Turkey, and has established a four-nation free trade zone with Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. It has obtained the status of special partnership with the European Union. The preferential trade covers 56 countries and can exert influence over the market of one billion people. The main trading partners are members of the European Union. Exports to European countries account for 62.1% of its total exports, and imports from European countries account for 49% of its total imports. It is currently negotiating with the Economic Community of West African States, the Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale, Canada and Russia on the signing of the FTAs, laying a good foundation for expanding the export market of industrial and agricultural products. Authorities such as the World Bank's Doing Business Global Report, Forbes Magazine's ranking of the "Best Countries for Doing Business", and the Quantum Global Research Laboratory's "Africa Investment Index", have all ranked Morocco's overall ease of doing business and environment for investment at the forefront of developing countries. In addition, Morocco has a relatively high-quality labour force and very competitive labour costs, with 64 per cent of the population being under the age of 34 and with a working population of more than 12 million.

Thanks to its strategic location, huge hinterland market, competitive labor costs and operating costs, Tangier Industrial Zone has attracted over 1,100 world-class automobile manufacturers, including MAERSK, CMA CGM, EUROGATE, RENAULT-NISSAN, SUMITOMO, DELPHI, the LEAR CORPORATION, VALEO, and SIEMENS.

The location of the park

II. Planning and Industry Positioning

The project is located 15 kilometers south of Tangier City, close to the A4 expressway and Ain Dalia railway station. The new high-speed railway passes through the west side of the block, 15 kilometers from Tangier’s city center, 35 kilometers from the Tangier Mediterranean Port and 15 kilometers from Tangier International Airport. The project covers a total area of about 2,167 hectares, including an industrial park and a smart city, and aims to develop into a modern industrial new town integrating industry, commerce, housing, public services and recreation.

At present, the development and construction of the start-up area of the industrial zone has been completed, and a number of enterprises from the automotive parts, new energy materials, construction materials, bags and leather goods industries have been introduced into the Free Zone.

The Mediterranean Port

III. Preferential Policies

The policy facilities and tax incentives available to enterprises located in Tanger Tech are as follows:

(1) No foreign exchange control: enterprises in the FTZ are not subject to foreign trade regulations or foreign exchange control, and funds can flow in and out freely;   

(2) Tax incentives: enterprises can enjoy preferential tax treatment, including:

① Being exempt from corporate tax for the first 5 years (from the time of the first importation of production materials), and 20% thereafter;

② Being exempt from import tariffs, import VAT;

③ Being exempt from production and consumption tax, export tax;

④ Being exempt from registration tax and stamp duty for the establishment of the enterprise, increase in capital, expansion of the scale of the enterprise, and enterprise's purchase of land.

IV. Infrastructure

The urban construction part of the project will integrate three aspects of commercial business services, ecological residence and smart city construction to provide supporting services for the industrial development of Tangier Tech City. The goal of commercial business services is to provide business, commerce, finance and other services for multinational companies stationed in the zone. Ecological residential construction will provide fertile ground for the Tangier Tech City to attract and retain industrial talents. The construction of a smart city will make Tangier Tech City more efficient, safer and smarter.

Upon completion, the Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City will become a new smart industry city providing 100,000 jobs and will have 300,000 people working and living there.

V. Supporting Services

The services provided by Tanger Tech to the enterprises in the zone include:

(1) A permanent customs office in the zone to handle immediate customs clearance, customs declaration, and certificate of origin issuance;

(2) "One Stop" administrative approval services to guide and assist investors to efficiently and effectively complete procedures, such as company registration, building permits, and construction commencement certificates;

(3) Offshore banks to facilitate direct and free access to enterprise funds, which can be exchanged for local currency when needed to pay management fees, utility bills, and employee salaries;

(4) Fully enclosed management with 24-hour security services.

VI. Contact Information

Chinese Contact: Ms. Wang, Beijing HQ, China Road and Bridge Corporation

Tel: 010-84267849                            

Email:wangl4@crbc.com

Morocco Contact: Mr Wang

Email: wangl_1@crbc.com