النظام الجمركي بالمغرب على عهد الحماية و صراع المصالح بين المغرب و الجزائر

الملخص EN

Since ancient times, the Moroccan-Algerian border areas have established strong commercial relations, tribes of each side were frequenting the market of the other side to buy and sell, benefiting from the lack of differentiation between them at the economic, social and religious levels, and the absence of the delimitation fee provided for in a biding international agreement.

However, with the French occupation of Algeria, the Moroccan Makhzen feared these relations and worked to combat smuggling and to impose duties on import and export in an attempt to reduce the size of trade exchanges.

However, these measures have collided with French fervor aimed at controlling the markets of eastern Morocco, which succeeded in imposing a hybrid customs regime on Morocco by which imported goods through it eastern borders would benefit from preferential treatment compared to its Atlantic ports.

The implications of this dual customs regime did not have a significant impact on Morocco's economy, or on its public finances, even in the early years of the French occupation.

Since the goods that benefit from the preferential treatment did not exceed the eastern markets, because of the luck of transport and their high costs and because of the absence of security between Taza and Fes.

However, after the French protectorate department managed to extend a railway line connecting eastern Morocco to its west, the Moroccan government and the chambers of commerce felt the danger of this customs regime on the national economy.

The government was convinced that it should be amended so it had to face the pressure of the general government of Algeria, and with it the Algerian commercial circles, which opposed the violation of the existing system.

This intensified the conflict of interests between the two countries before Morocco succeeded in imposing its will and unifying its customs regime.