Rabat \u2013 New data from Spanish news agency EFE highlights Morocco\u2019s importance as one of Spain\u2019s key trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching an estimated \u20ac22.757 billion in 2025.<\/p>\n
This comes amid the presence of major Spanish companies in different sectors, including textiles, while the relationship extends beyond trade to logistics, migration and security.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report said<\/a> trade between the two countries grew \u201cat a very high rate\u201d during the past decade. However, it noted that growth became more moderate from 2018 onward, while Spanish exports declined by 4.1% last year due to lower fuel sales.<\/p>\n Despite these challenges, Spain remains Morocco\u2019s main trading partner, ranking first in bilateral trade for both exports and imports.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the first half of 2026, Spanish exports to Morocco increased by 3.5% to \u20ac6.4205 billion, accounting for 3.2% of total Spanish exports. Imports rose by 4.1% to \u20ac5.7955 billion, representing 2.5% of total imports,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n However, while the report points to the potential costs to Morocco of strained ties with Spain, it gives less attention to the North African country\u2019s own strategic importance to Spain and Europe.<\/p>\n The report also comes at a critical time, particularly following the mass crossings into Ceuta<\/a>, which fueled renewed anti-Moroccan rhetoric. On July 30 and 31, tens of thousands of migrants crossed into the enclave, prompting renewed debate over Morocco\u2019s role as a key ally and security partner.<\/p>\n The 2021 diplomatic crisis offered a clear example of Morocco\u2019s leverage, after Rabat reacted strongly to Spain\u2019s decision to host Polisario leader Brahim Ghali for medical treatment, prompting Madrid to seek to restore relations and stressing Morocco\u2019s importance as a key partner.<\/p>\n The importance of Rabat was also reflected in Madrid\u2019s attention to bilateral ties, prompting Pedro Sanchez\u2019s government to recognize Morocco\u2019s Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible political solution to end the dispute<\/a> over Western Sahara.<\/p>\n The end of tensions was further marked by Sanchez\u2019s visit to Rabat in 2022, where he met with King Mohammed VI and Moroccan officials to announce a new chapter in ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n Globally, Morocco has emerged as a strategic gateway between Europe and Africa and plays a central role in managing migration, security, and regional stability.<\/p>\n