How to sell Moroccan crafts abroad

Moroccan craft is known all over the world:

• Beni Ourain and Azilal rugs;
• ceramics from Safi and Fès;
• leather from Fès and Marrakech;
• zellige, brass lanterns and argan oil.

Yet many of the makers behind these pieces still sell only to visitors, to resellers, or through a few messages on Instagram.

Selling directly to buyers abroad is within reach. This guide takes you through the decisions in order, whether you’re a single maker, a cooperative or a craft brand.

1. Choose your route: your own store, a marketplace, or both

Many makers start on a marketplace to reach buyers quickly, then open their own store once they have a following. You can do both at the same time.

2. Photograph the piece and the hands that made it

Buyers abroad can’t touch your work, so your photos have to do it for them:

• the full piece on a plain, light background, in daylight;
• close-ups of the knots, the glaze or the stitching;
• the piece in a home, for scale;
• the workshop and the maker at work, with their agreement.

The workshop photos matter. They show the piece is handmade, and they tell the story that makes a buyer pay a fair price.

3. Describe it in your buyers’ language, with numbers

Write each description in the language of the buyers you want to reach. Include:

• the exact size in centimetres (and in inches for the US and the UK);
• the materials (wool, cotton, clay, vegetable-tanned leather…);
• the region and the technique;
• how long it took to make, if that’s remarkable;
• how to care for it;
• whether each piece is unique or made to order.

These facts also help Google and AI shopping assistants recommend your piece when someone asks for “a handwoven Berber rug, 200 × 300 cm”.

4. Price for the journey, not only the workshop

Your price abroad has to cover more than materials and time:

• packaging that survives a long trip;
• shipping, which depends on weight and size: a large rug or a set of plates costs far more to send than a pair of slippers;
• payment fees;
• taxes and duties in the buyer’s country (see the next section);
• returns: what happens if a piece comes back.

Decide who pays the import taxes: you, so the buyer pays one clear price (“duties included”), or the buyer, on delivery. Buyers find one clear price much easier to accept. If you choose it, make sure your price covers the taxes and the carrier’s fees (see the next section).

5. Know the basics of customs, VAT and product rules

Rules change often, and each country has its own. Use this as a starting point, then check with your carrier, your marketplace or a customs adviser.

• Every parcel pays something now. The European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States all charge import VAT or duties even on small parcels. In the EU, VAT applies to every parcel, and since July 2026 a small customs duty does too, even under €150.
• Someone has to collect the tax. For small parcels, the seller or the marketplace can collect the EU’s VAT at checkout, and must collect the UK’s VAT for parcels up to £135. A seller based outside the EU usually needs an EU intermediary to do this, which is why many makers sell through a marketplace or a carrier that handles it. Otherwise the carrier collects the VAT, duties and a handling fee from the buyer before delivery.
• “Made in Morocco” can lower duties. Morocco has trade agreements with the EU, the UK and the US. With the right proof of origin, some pieces pay less duty or none. Ask your carrier or a customs adviser which proof you need.
• Products sold to EU buyers need a contact in the EU. Under EU product-safety rules, most goods sold to consumers online must name a business based in the EU that is responsible for their safety (an importer, a representative or a fulfilment service). Marketplaces often provide one, and some ask you to.
• Ceramics used with food must be food-safe. Glazed plates, bowls and tagines sold for food must meet limits on lead and cadmium. If a piece isn’t tested, sell and label it as decorative only.
• Some products have their own rules:
  • cosmetics, such as argan oil creams, need a responsible person and a safety assessment in the EU (and in the UK). Pure argan oil sold for cooking follows food rules instead;
  • food, and items made from some animal materials or wood, may need extra certificates.
• Declare every parcel accurately. Give an exact description and the real value. Under-declaring delays the parcel and can lead to fines.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules checked on 8 November 2026. They change often, so check them for your own products and markets.

6. Pack like it’s going around the world

• Rugs: rolled, not folded, in a waterproof cover.
• Ceramics and glass: each piece wrapped on its own, in a double box with padding on all sides.
• Leather: tissue paper and a dust bag.

Add a card with your story and how to care for the piece, written in the buyer’s language. It’s the moment they remember, and often the one they photograph.

7. Get paid, safely

For makers based in Morocco, opening a payment account that accepts cards from abroad is often the hardest step. Before you start, check:

• which payment methods your buyers expect (cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay);
• how and when the money reaches you, in which currency, and at what exchange rate;
• what happens to the payment if a piece is returned;
• if you’re based in Morocco, how your earnings come home: Morocco’s exchange rules require money from export sales to be brought back to Morocco within a set time. Ask your bank.

On a marketplace, the marketplace usually collects the payment from the buyer and pays the maker afterwards.

Some payment providers don’t open accounts for businesses registered in Morocco. If that’s your case, the simplest route is often a marketplace, or a service that collects payments for you and pays you in dirhams.

8. Build trust from the first visit

Buyers who don’t know you need reasons to believe:

• a short “about” page with your story, your region and your workshop;
• clear delivery times and a returns policy;
• a real way to contact you;
• real reviews only, never invented ones (fake reviews are illegal in the EU and the UK).

Questions

Do I need a company to sell abroad?

It depends on your situation and on how you sell. A marketplace may accept individual makers and cooperatives. Ask an accountant about your own case.

Can I sell only some of my pieces online?

Yes. Many makers keep their one-off pieces for the workshop and sell their regular designs online, or the opposite.

How long does delivery to Europe take?

It depends on the carrier and the service you pay for. Always show a realistic range in days on each product page, and keep it up to date.

Do I need to speak English?

No. Write in the language you’re comfortable with. Our AI works in most languages: the AI store manager helps you translate, and you check the result before it goes live.