Morocco Free Trade Agreement

The United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on January 1, 2006, eliminating duties on more than 95 percent of all goods and services. In addition to key U.S. export sectors gaining immediate duty-free access to the Moroccan market, the Agreement includes commitments by Morocco for increased regulatory transparency and the protection of intellectual property rights.

Through foreign assistance programs, the United States continues to provide Morocco with targeted technical assistance supporting FTA compliance and regulatory reform.

Issues relating to the definition of direct shipment and Morocco's application of tariff-rate quotas for wheat imports from the United States have arisen since the FTA's implementation. U.S. concerns with respect to these issues were raised at the first meeting of the bilateral Joint Committee (the FTA's governing body) in March 2008, and at a number of other meetings, as well as in written exchanges before and after the Joint Committee meeting, including with respect to wheat, at the June 2008 meeting of the Subcommittee on Agricultural Trade.