Morocco's Competition Council (Conseil de la concurrence) has published its annual report for 2025, with a close look at two materials central to housing construction: cement and steel rebar. The work goes back to referrals made in May 2022 by the House of Representatives and the National Federation of Real Estate Developers (FNPI).
National cement capacity stands at 27.3 million tonnes a year, of which 26.6 million tonnes, more than 97%, belong to integrated cement makers. Three independent grinding centres share the rest. Casablanca-Settat, Souss-Massa and the Oriental together hold more than 58% of capacity, and the Council also points to high barriers to entry and structural overcapacity. Residential construction used about 9.3 million tonnes of cement in 2024, for revenue above MAD 9.9 billion.
The Council traces the price rises back to production costs that started climbing in early 2021, partly because of petroleum coke. A first price increase came on 21 December 2021, followed by other producers in early 2022. For rebar, the report notes the effect of restrictions on scrap metal exports in force since June 2024.
In the opinions concerned, the Council did not find a price-fixing cartel. Its approach was not to sanction but to make commitments binding. For developers and buyers of new-build homes, this closer scrutiny brings more transparency on a cost item that weighs on construction prices.
