Rabat – A recent report by the Moroccan Competition Council has said Morocco’s cement sector is currently dominated by four major players, which benefit from the backing of specialized international groups.
The companies that back Morocco’s industrial players include Hoclim, Heidelberg Materials, and Cemos Group, and two fully national companies, the report detailed.
The companies that are key players in Morocco include LafargeHolcim Maroc, operating across all regions in Morocco.
Heidelberg Materials, which oversees the cement companies Climents du Maroc and Asment e Temara, with activities in several regions, and the Sefrioui family, which owns two production sites in the Casablanca-Settat and Beni Mellal-Khenifra regions.
The SGTM is also a key player in the market.
Three other companies operate locally, including Cemos Ciment, independent from Cemos PLS, Dakhla Amenagement under the control of Mauritanian investors, and the Hamouti Group, which manages Centrale Gypse.
The report acknowledged that the national cement sector is highly concentrated, with four major companies dominating the market, including Lafarge, Holcim, Français Ciments/Italcimente, and CIMPOP.
These companies have notably leveraged support from specialized international groups, allowing them to expand production, strengthen their market positions, and influence national supply dynamics.
The report, issued earlier this month, further indicated that Morocco’s cement industry experienced a momentum after 1986, marking the liberalization of the market.
The momentum is attributed to the launch of integrated production units and grinding centers across the country, the report said, citing the cement plant the French company Ciments Français has launched in Safi.
One of the other developments is the griding center by La Cimenterie de l’Oriental in Fez.
“This period was also characterized by the restructuring of the national cement industry through mergers, acquisitions, and the strengthening of oversight,” the report added.
The Competitive Council also cited key transactions that took place in the sector, including the acquisition of La Cimenterie de l’Oriental by Ltd Holcim as part of a state-led privatization, and the purchase of 54% of Temara de Asment by the Portuguese group CIMPOR.
One of the key transactions is the creation of the holding company Lafarge Maroc, owned jointly by the National Investment Company and Francais Lafrage, with equal shares.
For the council, Morocco’s industrial system is capable of meeting the country’s cement demand, attributing this development to investments and ensuring a stable and continuous supply.
The development has also contributed to enabling exports starting in 1989 instead of relying on imports.
“During this period, four major players dominated the cement sector, benefiting from support by specialized international groups,” the report said, citing Lafarge, Holcim, Ciments Français, CIMPOR alongside the founding Iraqi family.
The report emphasized the importance of the national cement industry, describing it as one of the country’s vital sectors that contributes to economic growth.
The industry creates jobs, offers value addition, and supports the development of the construction and infrastructure sectors.
“By the end of 2024, its contribution to the value added of the manufacturing industry reached 4 percent,” the report said.
In terms of human resources, the sector created over 2,362 direct jobs in addition to over 3,100 indirect jobs during the same year.
The sector also mobilized over 8.4 billion in financial resources to strengthen and expand the capacities of operators, including storage capacities.
The report stated that the tax contribution of the cement industry to state revenues exceeded MAD 7 billion in the 2024 fiscal year. The data obtained from industry operators, according to the report, include customs duties and the special tax on cement.
The contribution represents 3% of total net tax revenues, excluding customs duties, the report added.
