Morocco is rapidly emerging as an important destination for Chinese manufacturing investment, as Chinese companies increasingly look to the North African country as a gateway to African, European and global markets.
Among the latest investments is a major tire manufacturing project by Guizhou Tire, a Chinese tire producer that is establishing a new factory in Tangier Tech City. The project represents an investment of about $298.7 million and is expected to produce six million passenger-vehicle tires annually.
The facility will be Guizhou Tire’s second manufacturing plant outside China, underscoring the company’s ambitions to expand its international production footprint. Its location in Tangier Tech City also places the project within one of Morocco’s most strategically positioned industrial zones, benefiting from the country’s infrastructure and access to international markets.
The tire investment is part of a broader wave of Chinese industrial activity in Morocco. Chinese companies have increasingly been drawn to the country by its proximity to Europe, expanding industrial infrastructure and network of trade agreements, as well as its position as a potential platform for reaching markets across Africa.
The automotive sector has become a particularly important area of cooperation. Morocco has developed a substantial vehicle manufacturing and components industry, creating an ecosystem that can support further investment in tires, batteries and other automotive products.
Another major Chinese-backed project is Gotion High-Tech’s planned electric-vehicle battery manufacturing facility. Backed by a €100 million loan, the project is expected to establish one of Africa’s first large-scale EV battery gigafactories, strengthening Morocco’s ambitions to become a regional center for electric-vehicle supply chains.
Together, the Guizhou Tire and Gotion projects illustrate how Chinese investment in Morocco is moving beyond traditional manufacturing toward higher-value industries linked to the global energy transition.
For Morocco, the influx of Chinese capital offers an opportunity to deepen its industrial base, create jobs and strengthen its role in international supply chains. For Chinese manufacturers, meanwhile, Morocco provides a strategic production base outside China and a foothold close to major consumer markets.
As global manufacturers diversify their supply chains and demand for electric vehicles and related components grows, Morocco’s combination of industrial infrastructure, geographic location and international market access could make it an increasingly important destination for Chinese manufacturing investment.
Slimane CHERFATI
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