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Souss-Massa exporter checklist — first container from Agadir

The port of Agadir handles citrus, primeurs (early vegetables), argan oil, fish and processed seafood for the EU and Africa. Here is the procedural and commercial checklist to ship your first container — whether you go through Agadir port directly or via Tanger Med for trans-shipment.

Pre-flight — before signing your first export contract

• SARL or SARL-AU registered with RC, IF, ICE, CNSS.
• Bank account (foreign currency sub-accounts useful — EUR + USD).
• OMPIC trademark filed at least for company name + product brand.
• HS code identified for each product (Système Harmonisé / Code Tarif Douanier).
• EUR.1 origin certificate eligibility confirmed for Morocco-EU FTA.
• Sanitary / phytosanitary status: ONSSA approval for food, fish, plant products.
• For halieutic products: numéro d’agrément ONSSA + IRACA / IGRAA depending on category.
• For organic / bio: ECOCERT or Bureau Veritas Maroc certification.

Banking & foreign exchange (Office des Changes)

1. Open a compte en devises at your bank.
2. Each export must be domicilied at your bank (formulaire de domiciliation).
3. Repatriate proceeds within 60 days of shipment (Office des Changes rule).
4. You may keep up to 70 % of receipts in the foreign-currency account.
5. Penalties for non-repatriation: 5 % of value + criminal liability.

Customs & logistics — the 24-step shipment

1. Sign Incoterm with buyer (FCA Agadir, FOB Agadir, CIF Marseille, DAP Madrid). FCA is the safest start.
2. Receive the buyer’s purchase order with all specs.
3. Issue commercial invoice + packing list (FR + EN, ICE included).
4. Domicilier the contract at the bank.
5. Book a freight forwarder (transitaire). Major Agadir players: SDV/Bolloré, DHL Global Forwarding, GETMA, Marsa Maroc agents.
6. For fresh produce: cold-chain truck, refer container, pre-cooling at exporter site.
7. Phytosanitary inspection by ONSSA (book 48 h ahead).
8. Issue EUR.1 origin certificate at chambre de commerce CCIS Souss-Massa.
9. Issue commercial COA / fiche technique.
10. Forwarder lodges DUM (Déclaration Unique Marchandises) on BADR portal of douane.
11. Customs assigns inspection circuit (vert / orange / rouge).
12. If rouge — physical inspection at port.
13. Bon à embarquer issued.
14. Container loaded onto vessel (Agadir port lines: CMA CGM weekly to Marseille, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd to Algeciras for trans-shipment).
15. Bill of Lading issued (B/L original + 3 copies).
16. Documents couriered to buyer or sent via Letter of Credit bank chain.
17. Buyer takes delivery at destination port.
18. Buyer remits payment.
19. Bank credits MAD account; you sign the engagement de change.
20. File TVA refund claim if applicable.
21. Update Office des Changes EDI declaration.
22. Update CCIS export statistics.
23. Capitalise the lessons in an internal export log.
24. Plan the next shipment.

Customs incentives

• Admission temporaire (AT): import inputs without duty / TVA if re-exported as finished product within 24 months. Critical for textile, leather, electronics assembly.
• Drawback: refund of duties on imported inputs after re-export.
• Statut OEA (Opérateur Économique Agréé): faster green-channel clearance for compliant exporters.
• ZAI Souss-Massa: industrial acceleration zone with 5-year IS exemption + reduced 8.75 % rate for 20 years for exporters.

Souss-Massa export ecosystem

• Marsa Maroc — Agadir terminal — main port operator.
• Douane Agadir — bureau d’Agadir-Port.
• ONSSA Direction Régionale Souss-Massa — sanitary control.
• CCIS Souss-Massa — origin certificates and trade missions.
• ASMEX (Association Marocaine des Exportateurs) — sector advocacy + B2B leads.
• Maroc Export — sectoral pavilions at SIAL Paris, Fruit Logistica Berlin, Anuga Köln.

Top 5 export sectors from Agadir

1. Citrus & primeurs — tomato, pepper, courgette, citrus 2.5M tonnes/year to EU.
2. Halieutic — sardine, anchovy, octopus, tuna, processed canned fish.
3. Argan oil & cosmetics — bio-cosmetic ingredient, growing 12 %/year.
4. Aromatic plants — Tafraoute saffron, Anti-Atlas thyme.
5. Solar & cleantech — emerging.