Phone and computer prices rise in Morocco, RAM up to 5x

Smartphone and laptop prices have risen noticeably in the Moroccan market, as the world faces unprecedented demand for the memory chips that power artificial intelligence data centers, according to Al3omk. Industry professionals in the import and distribution sector link the rise to the scarcity of some electronic components and the higher cost of sourcing them abroad, while consumer protection associations warn that this explanation does not justify all the increases seen in stores.

An importer who owns three IT import and distribution companies in Rabat says economy-class laptops have risen by at least 250 dirhams at wholesale, noting that the gap can widen further for the end consumer because of the many intermediaries involved in distribution. He adds that 16GB DDR4 RAM has turned into a "premium" product at record prices. These findings match what traders in Rabat's Kaza market are seeing: they report RAM prices rising by at least 4 to 5 times, while some products have risen by more than 50%. In the Yacoub El Mansour district, a phone seller says entry-level smartphones are already seeing unprecedented price rises that cannot be explained by Moroccan customs duties alone.

Why are RAM prices rising worldwide?

The Moroccan Federation for Consumer Rights says growing pressure on memory components has affected the balance between supply and demand, which has fed through into manufacturing and sale costs, especially in import markets. It says AI companies, while not the only player, have become one of the main drivers of global demand for chips. Still, it stresses that the international explanation is not enough to justify all the increases, insisting on "the need to distinguish a genuine rise in import costs from commercial practices that may exploit the situation to justify disproportionate increases."

How can consumers tell a real price rise from exploitation?

Nabil Qliai, Secretary General of the Rabat Association for Consumer Protection and Guidance, calls for separating recent customs changes from the duties actually applied to products. He says the debate "requires distinguishing between the adjustments some customs provisions have seen in recent years and the duties actually applied to the products concerned," adding that "it is essential to go back to official customs tariffs based on each product's legal classification, without confusing import duty with VAT and other marketing and distribution costs." Qliai argues that smart devices have become "a gateway to joining the digital society" in education, work, and administrative and financial services, and that higher prices hit low-income families, young people and students hardest, deepening the "digital divide."

For his part, Wadie Mdih, President General of the National Federation of Consumer Associations, does not rule out that the Moroccan market is affected by swings in international markets, but rejects turning that situation into an excuse for additional, deliberate or illegitimate increases. He explains that the law does not set a profit margin for selling smartphones, which remains subject to supply and demand under free competition, and laments that a large part of the sector remains "outside regulatory oversight." Mdih cites a price gap of nearly 3,000 dirhams between the iPhone 18 Pro Max in France and in Morocco, saying a gap of that size calls into question the multiplicity of intermediaries and distribution links. He also questions the legal status of some supply sources, naming Derb Ghalef as one of the main sources supplying the Moroccan market with electronics, and warns of middlemen who exploit economic conditions for extra profit, whom he calls "al-shanaqa."

Mdih concluded by saying that, to his knowledge, Morocco's 2026 tax law did not include changes that would significantly affect electronics prices, which points to other factors determining final prices in Moroccan stores.