Will they open? Or not? Since the beginning of the year, suspense has surrounded the future of commercial customs in the Spanish enclaves. Announced with great fanfare by the Iberian media, a first attempt was made on January 8 at the Tarajal border crossing in Sebta and the Beni Ansar border crossing in Melilia. Two vehicles carrying electrical appliances and hygiene products tried to cross the land border into the kingdom, before turning back.

Technical problems were cited by the Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares as the reason for the failed attempt, the fourth since the end of the diplomatic row between the two kingdoms. At the 8th Conference of Ambassadors, which brought together Spanish diplomats posted around the world on January 13 and 14, Albares announced the postponement of the reopening of overland commercial customs between the two countries, without advancing a new date for this reopening.

A failure, a victory

« Both countries thought that January 8 could be the day when there would be a first official step. There have been several trials, which have certainly been conclusive and positive. However, there is still work to be done by both customs authorities to definitively resolve any technical problems that may still exist », Albares said briefly in response to a journalist’s question in Madrid on Monday January 14, without providing any further details on the nature of these « technical problems », as reported by the Spanish media El Independiente.

Finally, the following day, a second attempt was made. A truck loaded with household electrical equipment managed to cross the border at Beni Ansar, reports the daily El País. Shortly after eight o’clock in the evening, the truck had completed all customs formalities and was able to set off again, unloading around 600 kilograms of goods.

From Beirut, where he is on an official visit, José Manuel Albares confirmed the success of the operation, which marks the reopening of the Melilia border crossing, closed since 2018. « This is the first step in the first phase towards normalized customs. It proves that Spain’s roadmap with Morocco is being respected (…). It shows Morocco’s commitment to Spain at what is the best time in our relationship, » he said, according to El Pais.

Near feat

The following day, Thursday January 16, a similar operation was carried out at the Tarajal border crossing at Sebta, which until now had no customs office for the transit of goods: only the passage of people and private vehicles had been authorized. A commercial customs office was inaugurated on the same day, with the passage of the first truckload of goods, according to the local newspaper El Faro de Ceuta, which covered the operation.

The truck passed through customs at around 11 a.m. after receiving clearance from the Moroccan authorities, however, it had to turn back at around 2 p.m. unable to unload its goods (hygiene products, in particular cotton buds and paper) due to « document problems« , says the regional daily. « Today marks another milestone in the first phase of the normalization of goods traffic at the border, which requires multiple preliminary operations. Technical problems continue to be resolved, in an atmosphere of mutual collaboration, and we continue to move forward », said the Spanish government delegation that oversaw the attempt, reports the newspaper.

On the Moroccan side, no communication has been made to confirm the reopening of commercial land customs with the two Spanish enclaves. Questioned on the subject on Thursday, government spokesman Mustapha Baitas declined to comment at the press conference following the weekly meeting of the Government Council, saying that the issue was not on the agenda.

The nightmare of smuggling

If the Moroccan authorities are tightening the screws on the formalities for passing through commercial customs, it’s because the kingdom aspires to make a definitive break with the anarchy and smuggling that have long been the rule, resulting in an annual shortfall in customs revenue of almost 4 billion dirhams.

« Concerning trade with the occupied presidencies, Morocco has been clear about the inalienable status of its territory. It has also been clear about the need to protect its economy from products harmful to its development. It is impossible to go back to anarchic trade, via women and men carrying goods, which constituted both an unacceptable social phenomenon and an illegal and harmful commercial traffic, » explains Ahmed Azirar, Research Director at the Moroccan Institute of Strategic Intelligence (IMIS). »

He adds: « The delay in relaunching trade is precisely due to the need to avoid the unfair competition that has done so much harm in the past to Morocco, its economy, its social fabric, the health of its people and its environment. »