Morocco Higher Planning Commission Predicts Improvement in Economic Growth

A worker picks strawberries, to be exported, in a field in Moulay Bousselham in Kenitra province, March 15, 2014. (Reuters)
A worker picks strawberries, to be exported, in a field in Moulay Bousselham in Kenitra province, March 15, 2014. (Reuters)
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Morocco Higher Planning Commission Predicts Improvement in Economic Growth

A worker picks strawberries, to be exported, in a field in Moulay Bousselham in Kenitra province, March 15, 2014. (Reuters)
A worker picks strawberries, to be exported, in a field in Moulay Bousselham in Kenitra province, March 15, 2014. (Reuters)

Morocco's economic growth is expected to rise slightly in Q4 of 2019 to 2.6 percent, after falling to 2.4 percent in Q3 due to the contraction of global trade and slowed growth of non-agricultural activities, according to the country’s Higher Planning Commission.

In a memorandum Tuesday, the Commission expected Morocco's exports to improve, despite the difficult conditions resulting from the contraction of global trade.

Regarding automobile exports, the Commission expected that the sector will continue to decline, especially fully assembled vehicles, due to the drop in global demand for cars, most notably in the European and Chinese markets.

The export of parts and electrical components of cars manufactured in Morocco is linked to demand in the European market, it added.

Moroccan phosphate fertilizer exports will see modest growth during Q4 of 2019. The Commission pointed out that this period is expected to witness strong pressure on fertilizer prices following the increased demand on Asian fertilizer and declining global demand due to lower prices of agricultural products.

The Commission also noted that the dynamics of Moroccan exports of fertilizers will be affected by lower US and Indian imports, but will benefit from improved South American demand.

According to the Commission, the mining and manufacturing sectors will grow by 3 percent and the tourism sector by 2.3 percent.

Overall, the Commission forecasts that the agricultural sector will continue its contraction for the fourth consecutive quarter, and will stand at 2.6 instead of 2.8 percent compared to the same period last year.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.