COVID-19: Morocco to sell masks to French army

Morocco-made facemasks have been cleared by French army for conforming to top safety standards and the north African country allowed their exports after satisfying domestic needs.

A textile company based in Morocco has won a contract to supply the French army, local newspaper Assabah reported.

Morocco has reached a production capacity of over 10 million masks a day and built a strategic stockpile of 50 million masks.

Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy said now textile companies can export, excluding reusable cloth masks which still need to ramp up production until Morocco secures a strategic reserve of 15 million facemasks.

France will place orders directly with Morocco-based companies to acquire masks, key for easing lockdowns and protection against coronavirus infections.

France is interested in Moroccan-made masks because of their price-quality match, which makes them competitive enough, analysts told Assabah.

The Moroccan masks will be sold at €1.5 per unit and can reach France in 2 hours and a half flight.

Morocco has made wearing facemasks mandatory after it subsidized them at 8 dirhams per pack of ten masks.