U.S. exporters face strong competition from European trading partners particularly from France who speak the same language and have historical ties with Morocco. European firms in general are familiar with all the aspects of the Moroccan business culture, financing, regulations and standards. They also visit Morocco more often.

The greatest barriers to trade in Morocco are irregularities in the government procurement procedures, lack of transparent governmental and judicial bureaucracies and contraband. Although the government is diligently working to liberalize the business environment, foreign corporations still complain about these challenges. FTA negotiators have addressed these issues and the Moroccan government has agreed to conform to international business standards. Thus the problems posed by these obstacles will gradually diminish for U.S. businesses as a result of the FTA implementation.

The legal and banking system in Morocco differ in many significant ways from the U.S. system.