Morocco and Tunisia are Europe's nearshore sewing rooms: knitwear, denim and outerwear concentrate there, and sea freight to Marseille or Genoa takes only 2–5 days. Labels are where it often goes wrong — local law asks for Arabic, the EU asks for a GPSR responsible person, factories push both back to the brand, and the missing line is discovered in the warehouse when a reprint can no longer make the launch.
1. At Origin: Arabic Is the Baseline
Morocco's consumer protection law 31-08 and its implementing texts require consumer information in Arabic, with foreign languages allowed alongside; Tunisia works the same way, with Arabic mandatory and French standard in commerce and retail. In practice labels are Arabic plus French, with English added only when the brand insists. Fibre content, care instructions, origin (Fabriqué au Maroc or Fabriqué en Tunisie) and the importer or responsible party's name and address are all required.
2. Selling into the EU: Three Non-Negotiables
- Regulation (EU) 1007/2011: legal fibre names only, percentages in descending weight, and only fibres actually present
- Care symbols per EN ISO 3758: care labelling is voluntary at EU level, but once you print it, it must be accurate — and retailer contracts almost always demand it
- GPSR (EU) 2023/988, applicable since 13 December 2024: the EU responsible person's name, postal address and email or website must sit on the product itself, or on packaging or an accompanying document where that is genuinely impossible
The third is the one most often missed, and the most likely ground for rejection. A Chinese factory is not an EU responsible person, and the factory address alone will not do; a brand without an EU establishment must name its importer or an authorised representative and fit that line onto the care label or the back of the hang tag.
3. Can Arabic Be Woven at All?
Yes, within limits. Arabic joins letters and extends above and below the baseline, so the same character height eats more vertical space than Latin. Woven labels at 40 picks and above weave readable Arabic; at 30 picks the joined strokes merge. Care labels are safer with a coated or heat-transfer surface, and screen printing needs generous leading because Arabic diacritics intrude into the lines above and below.
Direction needs handling too: Arabic reads right to left, while codes, size numbers and percentages still read left to right. The workable approach is one Arabic column and one Latin-and-numeric column separated by a thin rule, rather than line-by-line mirroring, which falls apart on a narrow label.
4. The Three Requirements Side by Side
| Item | Morocco | Tunisia | Selling in the EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Arabic, French allowed alongside | Arabic, French standard in trade | Language of the member state; symbols may replace words |
| Fibre content | Percentages with common names | Same | Legal names under 1007/2011 only |
| Care | Arabic text or symbols | Same | EN ISO 3758 symbols are the common currency |
| Origin | Fabriqué au Maroc | Fabriqué en Tunisie | Non-EU origin must be identifiable; any marking must match origin rules |
| Responsible party | Local importer name and address | Same | GPSR EU responsible person, with email or website |
5. The Three Most Common Mistakes
- French without Arabic: local retail and consumer checks fail it outright; French is an addition, not a substitute
- A Chinese factory named as GPSR responsible person: EU customs and market surveillance only accept an entity established in the Union
- Symbols contradicting words: a machine-wash symbol next to dry-clean-only text is treated as a labelling error in any claim
6. Five Things to Confirm Before Sampling
- The final list of selling countries, which fixes the language mix and whether a GPSR person is needed
- Who supplies the responsible-person details and which face carries them: care label front, reverse or tag back
- Match Arabic type size to process: 40 picks and up for woven, coated or transfer for care labels
- Composition matching the test report, with care symbols checked against the actual fibre blend
- Keep three physical sets: factory, brand compliance and the EU importer, the reference if a regulator asks
Related Articles
- Trims FAQ: all articles
- EU GPSR and Clothing Compliance: Responsible Person, Warnings and Recalls
- EU Clothing Label Compliance: 1007/2011 and Member-State Languages
- Trims Supply Under Nearshoring: Lead Times, Stock and Replenishment
Setting labels for Morocco or Tunisia? Send the selling countries, fibre composition, responsible-party details and packing method; we propose care labels, woven labels and hang tags in Arabic plus French, check the EU 1007/2011 and GPSR placements, and ship physical samples in 3–7 days.
Request a nearshore label plan →