The Expert Group Meeting on International Trade Statistics, organized by the Office des Changes in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division, began on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Marrakech.
The opening session was chaired by Ms. Nadia FETTAH ALAOUI, Minister of Economy and Finance, who emphasized the critical importance of reliable and internationally compliant statistical data for the effective design and guidance of economic policies. She also praised the recognized expertise of the Office des Changes in producing external trade statistics, the balance of payments, and the international investment position.
Mr. Driss BENCHIKH, Director of the Office des Changes, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to continuously improving the quality, transparency, and comparability of the statistics produced. He presented the main orientations of the 2025–2029 strategy, focusing in particular on strengthening institutional cooperation, modernizing data collection mechanisms, and promoting Open Data.
Held in a hybrid format, the meeting gathers numerous national institutions from both the public and private sectors, international organizations, and representatives from more than 35 countries.
The discussions, which will continue until May 9, 2025, are mainly dedicated to the finalization and official adoption of the new methodological manuals developed by the Task Team on International Trade Statistics (TT-ITS).