U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement

How Can U.S. Companies Benefit

The United States and Morocco completed a free trade agreement (FTA) March 2, 2004, as part of a broader strategy to liberalize trade in the Middle East. The U.S. Congress approved the U.S.-Morocco FTA in section 101(a) of the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 108-302, 118 Stat. 1103) (19 U.S.C. 3805 note). The Agreement entered into force on January 1, 2006. At that time, tariffs for more than 95 percent of qualifying consumer and industrial goods were immediately eliminated. Remaining tariffs for most remaining qualifying goods will be eliminated over a nine-year period from the date the Agreement entered into force. For a limited number of products, tariffs will be eliminated over a period of up to 15 years. Currently U.S. exports to Morocco are subject to an average tariff of over 20 percent.

The agreement also offers new access to services, intellectual property protection, a predictable legal framework for U.S. investors, open and fair government procurement, and strong protections for labor and environment.

In order to take advantage of the benefits for U.S. goods under this Agreement, exporters will need to understand how to determine that their goods are "originating," that is, how they qualify for preferential duty treatment under the U.S.-Morocco FTA Rules of Origin.

The concept of "originating" goods can be a complicated one. The details are in the text of the U.S.-Morocco FTA. Click on the following links for information on how to determine if your product qualifies for preferential tariff treatment, how to use the tariff elimination schedule, how to document origin, and frequently asked questions about the Agreement.

The Department of Commerce's Market Access and Compliance offices will be monitoring this Agreement to ensure that Morocco fully complies with its trade obligations. If you encounter problems under the U.S.-Morocco FTA, please contact our Agreements Compliance office.

Additional Resources

Text of the U.S.-Morocco FTA
Textile and Apparel Information
Tariff Elimination
Frequently Asked Questions
Documenting Origin
Rules of Origin
U.S. Commercial Service Morocco Website

Prepared by the International Trade Administration
Trade Information Center