Rabat – Morocco’s daily production of face masks has exceeded 14 million, local business newspaper L’Economiste reported.
According to the newspaper, “more than 300 Moroccan factories possess the ‘Imanor’ certification to produce face masks.”
The figure represents the objective that Morocco’s Minister of Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, had set out in early March when he gave directives to local textile companies to exclusively manufacture protective medical gear.
“Today, the production capacity is 10 million units per day for single-use face masks and 4 million for reusable masks,” L’Economiste reported, citing a source from the Ministry of Industry.
The number makes Morocco one of the world’s major producers of face masks—one of the most in-demand products in recent months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to companies, Moroccan prisons are also contributing to the local production of face masks. According to the General Directorate for Prison Administration and Reintegration, inmates in prisons across the country produce over 20,000 masks every day.
Morocco’s daily production now greatly exceeds domestic demand, allowing the country to export the surplus and position itself as a leader in the global face masks market.
The Ministry of Industry first authorized the export of face masks on May 21, while stressing the need to have a national stock of at least 15 million face masks at all times.
On June 9, the ministry announced that Morocco exported over 18.5 million masks to 11 countries. The list of recipients includes France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Algeria, Mexico, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia.
While the ministry did not announce any recent statistics about the exported face masks, their number is estimated to have more than doubled since the last update.
