Sonia Mezzour has been elected president of Morocco’s Exporters Confederation (ASMEX), becoming the first woman to lead the organisation since it was created in 1982. She won a closely fought election in Casablanca on Tuesday, receiving 102 votes. Abdelaziz Mantrach came second with 99 votes, while Adil Zaidi secured 92 votes.
The election was held using a weighted voting system, where some members had more than one vote depending on their membership contributions.
Mezzour takes over from Hassan Sentissi El Idrissi, who had led ASMEX since 2013. Members later proposed giving him the title of honorary president.
The vote followed days of tension inside the organisation.
The outgoing president had called for the election to be postponed and questioned whether the three candidates had enough experience in exports. An extraordinary meeting was planned the day before the vote to change the rules for becoming president, but it did not take place.
The election went ahead without Sentissi present. It was chaired by senior vice-president Mohammed Es-Saadi and supervised by a court-appointed bailiff.
ASMEX represents more than 9,000 companies, cooperatives and business groups involved in international trade.
Mezzour, who previously served as ASMEX vice-president and headed its finance and insurance commission, says she wants to focus on helping exporters deal with growing challenges.
Her programme includes improving access to finance, better risk protection, stronger market intelligence and practical support for businesses.
She takes office at an important time for Morocco’s export sector.
According to the latest figures from the Foreign Exchange Office and the High Commission for Planning, Morocco’s exports reached a record 66.2 billion dirhams in March 2026.
The increase was driven by strong performance in the automotive, phosphate and textile industries.
Morocco is also expanding trade with African countries. Trade with the rest of the continent has reached $9.5 billion, while the European Union remains Morocco’s largest trading partner.
Mezzour says she wants ASMEX to become a stronger partner for Moroccan businesses and help improve the global competitiveness of products made in Morocco.
One of her first tasks will be bringing members together after a divisive election and recent disputes within the organisation.
