As part of the follow-up to the Free Trade Agreement, the United States and Morocco are determined to consolidate their commercial partnership.
The eighth meeting of the Joint Committee for the Follow-up of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Morocco began on Monday at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington.
The meeting is co-chaired by Ryad Mezzour, Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, and Bryant Trick, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East.
The opening ceremony was attended by Morocco’s Ambassador to Washington, Youssef Amrani, and numerous U.S. officials. Discussions
focused on ways to strengthen trade relations between the two countries and optimize the Free Trade Agreement, particularly in the
agricultural, textile, investment and automotive sectors.
In his speech, Minister Ryad Mezzour underscored the importance of King Mohammed VI’s vision, which positions Morocco as a partner of choice and a credible interlocutor for the United States.
He highlighted the significant progress made during the 20 years of implementation of the Free Trade Agreement, while calling for
redoubled efforts to capitalize on this cooperation and resolve outstanding issues.
Mezzour spoke of the priorities related to access for Moroccan products to the U.S. market and vice versa, stressing the need to
overcome non-tariff barriers.
He also touched on a number of key areas of trade, including cooperation in the agricultural, textile, automotive, and investment sectors.
Agriculture, a key sector of this cooperation, requires efforts to increase access for Moroccan products to the American market, the
Minister recalled.
He reiterated Morocco’s requests for market access for heat-treated poultry meat, as well as for fruits and vegetables.
The textile sector offers good prospects for growth under the FTA, Mr. Mezzour added, stressing that cooperation in this area could help counter Asian competition.
In the automotive sector, he stressed the importance of customs cooperation to facilitate bilateral trade flows.
On the environmental front, the Minister welcomed the recent signing of the latest action plan aimed at aligning the two countries’ ambitions in this area.
The Minister also highlighted the presence of 150 American companies in Morocco, which testifies to the United States’ confidence in the Kingdom.
He stressed that Morocco could become a pillar of the US approach to the new industrial and green procurement policy, particularly in relation to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Bryant Trick confirmed this assessment and welcomed the dynamic economic and trade relations between the two countries.
He recognized the potential of the FTA to improve access for Moroccan exports to the U.S. market and hailed Morocco as a platform for new economic opportunities for U.S. companies.
Ambassador Youssef Amrani stated that the FTA is a catalyst for bringing the business communities of the two countries closer
together.
He stressed the importance of this meeting to assess the implementation of the agreement and to express Morocco’s commitment to developing trade relations and promoting investment.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Mezzour held meetings with senior U.S. officials, particularly at the State Department and scheduled meetings with the Department of Energy and other specialized agencies.
He will also participate in a panel discussion organized by the Atlantic Council think tank.
This meeting in Washington illustrates the shared desire of the United States and Morocco to consolidate their commercial partnership and open the way to new prospects for cooperation and economic development.
MN/te/lb/GIK/APA