According to ACCIÓ, in 2025 there were 231 subsidiaries of Catalan companies in Morocco and more than 1,600 companies exported to that market. Columnist Rosa Cañadas urges consideration of this when discussing the Ceuta crisis.
Columnist Rosa Cañadas argues, as published in Crónica Global, that the debate over the Ceuta crisis should not be limited to pointing fingers. Her article asserts that, while investigations are underway into what Morocco did on 30 and 31 July, there is a lack of reflection on how to prevent something similar from happening again, and much of that challenge remains in Spain.
From Catalonia, the author focuses on the business fabric. She recalls that there are companies that have been working in the neighbouring country for decades and depend on Moroccan clients, suppliers, and partners. Therefore, she believes that before discussing the suspension of agreements, it should be explained what consequences this would have for them.
According to data from ACCIÓ from July 2026, in 2025 there were 231 subsidiaries of Catalan companies in Morocco and more than 1,600 companies regularly exported to that market. The trade exchange exceeded €4.6 billion that year, with sectors such as automotive, textiles, food, machinery, and health.
The author insists that many of these companies are SMEs and not large groups. A multinational can wait for a diplomatic crisis to pass, but an SME with a subsidiary in Tangier or with a significant portion of its production sold in Casablanca has less margin to endure months of uncertainty.
Cañadas also recalls that on 1 July, a month before the events in Ceuta, the president of Pimec travelled to Tangier with a delegation of Catalan companies. The employers' association considers Morocco one of its priority markets for SMEs.
The column goes beyond the economic realm and points out that the Moroccan community is the largest foreign community in Catalonia, with families established for decades and individuals who already hold Spanish nationality. For the author, transferring a crisis between governments to coexistence in Catalonia would be an avoidable harm.
“Few communities have such a close relationship with Morocco”
The author believes that public conversation should focus on how to maintain that relationship while clarifying responsibilities, without leaving business decisions pending on the political crisis.
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