Casablanca – Morocco imported larger volumes of diesel and gasoline in 2025 while spending less overall on fuel purchases, reflecting the impact of lower international petroleum prices despite sustained domestic demand. New data released by the Competition Council show that the country’s fuel market remained active throughout the year, with higher sales volumes, increased imports, and a growing number of operators, even as revenues across the sector declined.

According to the Council’s latest assessment of wholesale fuel distribution companies, Morocco imported approximately 6.9 million tons of diesel and gasoline during 2025. The total value of these imports reached about $4.86 billion, compared with roughly $5.34 billion in 2024.

The figures indicate a significant divergence between volumes and values. While fuel imports increased by 6.7% compared with the previous year, the total amount spent on imports fell by 9.1%, reflecting a more favorable international pricing environment for petroleum products.

Demand remains resilient

The latest data suggest that fuel consumption in Morocco continued to expand despite a changing global energy landscape. Total sales of diesel and gasoline by the country’s nine largest fuel distributors reached approximately 7.45 billion liters during 2025, up from 7.32 billion liters a year earlier.

This represented an annual increase of 1.8%, highlighting the continued importance of petroleum products for transportation, logistics, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and other economic activities.

Although sales volumes increased, distributor revenues moved in the opposite direction. Combined revenue generated by the nine leading fuel distribution companies amounted to approximately $7.26 billion during 2025, excluding marine fuel activities. This represented a decline of 8.9% compared with the previous year.

The reduction in revenue was primarily linked to lower fuel prices rather than weaker demand, demonstrating how international market conditions affected the sector’s financial performance.

Diesel continues to dominate

Diesel remained the backbone of Morocco’s fuel market throughout the year.

The product accounted for approximately 85% of all fuel volumes sold and 83% of total sales value. The dominance of diesel reflects its extensive use across commercial transportation networks, freight operations, public works projects, industrial activities, and agricultural production.

The same trend was evident in Morocco’s import structure. Diesel represented 88% of total imported fuel volumes and 88% of import value during the fourth quarter of 2025, maintaining its position as the country’s most important petroleum product.

The continued reliance on diesel underscores the central role of road transport in Morocco’s economy and the limited availability of large-scale alternatives for many sectors that depend on fuel-powered equipment and vehicles.

Fourth-quarter trends confirm annual pattern

The final quarter of 2025 mirrored the broader trends observed throughout the year.

During the three-month period, Morocco imported approximately 1.69 million tons of diesel and gasoline with a total value of around $1.18 billion. Import volumes increased by 0.6% compared with the same quarter of 2024, while the value of imports declined by 4.8%.

Fuel sales also recorded modest growth. The nine leading distributors sold approximately 1.91 billion liters during the quarter, slightly above the level recorded one year earlier.

However, quarterly revenue declined from roughly $1.90 billion to $1.82 billion, a decrease of 3.7%, further illustrating the impact of lower international petroleum prices on distributor earnings.

More companies enter the market

The fuel sector also experienced a gradual increase in the number of market participants during 2025.

By the end of the year, Morocco had 35 companies licensed to import liquid petroleum products, compared with 31 at the end of 2024. At the same time, the number of operators authorized to distribute liquid petroleum products increased from 35 to 39.

The arrival of new participants reflects a gradual diversification of the market and may contribute to greater competition across fuel import and distribution activities.

The fuel market has remained under close scrutiny in recent years because of its importance to household budgets, business costs, and overall inflation trends. As a result, developments related to market structure and competition continue to attract attention from regulators and economic observers.

Storage infrastructure shows limited growth

While imports and sales increased, Morocco’s fuel storage infrastructure expanded only marginally during the year.

National storage capacity for diesel and gasoline reached approximately 1.57 million tons by the end of 2025, compared with 1.56 million tons a year earlier.

The country’s nine largest distributors continued to dominate the storage segment, controlling around 1.27 million tons of capacity, equivalent to approximately 81% of the national total.

The relatively slow growth in storage capacity contrasts with the increase in fuel consumption and import volumes, highlighting the strategic importance of logistics infrastructure in maintaining supply security.

Lower prices ease pressure on import costs

The overall picture emerging from 2025 is one of stable demand combined with lower international fuel prices.

Morocco imported more fuel, sold more fuel, and saw additional operators enter the market. Yet the total value of imports and distributor revenues both declined because petroleum products were cheaper on global markets than in the previous year.

For the Moroccan economy, the reduction in the fuel import bill provided some relief by lowering the cost of energy purchases abroad. At the same time, the figures confirm the country’s continued dependence on imported petroleum products to meet domestic demand.

As fuel consumption continues to grow alongside economic activity, developments in international energy markets will remain a key factor shaping Morocco’s trade balance, fuel prices, and the performance of companies operating across the petroleum supply chain.