Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
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helped to catalyze the industrial shift within the region and nationally from phosphate
manufacturing to the automotive industry.
The successful location of Renault in the Tanger Med Zones had a significant impact on both the
regional and national economy with regards to the automotive industry. It is recorded that
following Renault’s arrival, an estimated 30 international subcontractors followed, establishing
production activities within the Tanger Med Automotive City Free Zone. It is estimated that now,
80% of the country’s automotive sector enterprises are located within the Tanger Med Zones
demonstrating the significance of the zones to the automotive industry.104
Box 35 - Tanger Med Success Factors – Pillar 4 Market Access – TMSA Interview
5.4.5.1 Relationship with Regional and National Economy
To examine the effect of the Tanger Med SEZ on the Moroccan economy a number of indicators
have been examined to illustrate the economic performance of the zone in:
 Increasing GDP performance;
 Increasing export values; and
 Attracting further FDI inflows.
This analysis is presented below i an
104 UN Economic Commission for Africa, (2017) Economic Report on Africa – 2017
In discussions with TMSA it was identified that market access has also played a key factor in the
Tanger Med Zones success. This includes Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with both the European
Union (EU) and the United States (US). It was noted that given Morocco is the only African
country to have a FTA with the US, this places it at a competitive advantage within the region
with regards to attracting investment across the Tanger Med Industrial Platform. This market
access has been facilitated by the rapid expansion of the Tanger Med Port and the increasing
number of connections to ports internationally.