Rabat – Morocco’s government will continue to maintain red meat imports duties free in an effort to keep the national market well-supplied.
The Moroccan Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes (ADI) announced the measure in a memo issued on January 30. Red meat imports with a minimum weight of 500 kilograms and a quota of 200 thousand will not be subject to import duties. In addition, the DAI has removed the minimum weight condition indefinitely.
The measure entered into force on January 30, 2023, and will end on December 31, 2023. The ADI specifies that this measure eliminates the minimum weight of domestic cattle, which is expected to keep the national market adequately supplied.
Following last year’s drought, Morocco’s government took a number of measures to prevent price hikes and supply shortages.
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Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said this week that eradicating the minimum on cattle imports aims to encourage suppliers to bring cattle of various weights for slaughter to quickly supply the national market.
Morocco’s government passed the first decree in 2022 following the drought and the ripple effect it sent down the cattle supply chain. As drought tightened its grip on the country, animal feed increased in price and became more scarce, negatively affecting the weight of cattle.
The rising production cost of red meat contributed to a noticeable drop in supply, leading to an increase in the price of red meat on the market.
