The United States and Morocco signed an FTA on June 15, 2004. The Agreement entered into force on January 1, 2006. The United States-Morocco FTA is a comprehensive agreement that supports the significant economic and political reforms that are underway in Morocco and provides for improved commercial opportunities for U.S. exports to Morocco by reducing and eliminating trade barriers.
Since the entry into force of the FTA, the U.S. goods trade surplus with Morocco has risen to $1.8 billion in 2011, up from $79 million in 2005 (the year prior to entry into force). U.S. goods exports in 2011 were $2.8 billion, up 45 percent from the previous year. Corresponding U.S. imports from Morocco were $996 million, up 45 percent. Morocco is now the 55th largest export market for U.S. goods.
The Joint Committee established by the FTA held its third meeting in December 2012. At meeting, the United States and Morocco announced agreement on three new initiatives: a Trade Facilitation Agreement, Joint Principles for International Investment, and Joint Principles for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Services. U.S. and Moroccan experts discussed FTA implementation issues including technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, and technical assistance to support implementation of the labor and environment provisions of the FTA. The two sides also discussed next steps in implementation of the 2011 Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Morocco joined the United States in signing the ACTA, an agreement that will raise the standard for intellectual property rights enforcement internationally.
The FTA Subcommittees on Agricultural Trade and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Matters also met in September 2012 and discussed Morocco’s implementation of the tariff-rate quotas established under the FTA to afford U.S. wheat producers preferential access to the Moroccan market. The United States continues to have serious concerns about Morocco’s administration of these tariff-rate quotas.
