Ryad Mezzour, and the Deputy United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East, Bryant Trick. Credit: DR
The work of the 8th session of the joint committee responsible for monitoring the United States-Morocco free trade agreement was opened on Monday in Washington, at the US Department of Commerce, under the co-chairmanship of the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ryad Mezzour, and the Deputy Trade Representative of the United States for the Europe and the Middle East, Bryant Trick.
During this opening ceremony, marked by the presence of the Moroccan ambassador to Washington, Youssef Amrani, and a host of American officials, the emphasis was placed on the means to be implemented in order to further develop trade relations between Morocco and the United States and to give more content and dynamism to the free trade agreement (FTA), particularly in the sectors of agriculture, textiles, investment, and the automobile industry.
In this sense, Mezzour raised a series of priority issues related to the access of Moroccan products to the American market and vice versa, addressing in this context several aspects related to overcoming non-tariff barriers. He also reviewed several structuring aspects in trade between the two countries, including cooperation in the agricultural, textile, automobile sectors, and of course the issue of investment.
Agriculture is an essential link in this cooperation, the minister recalled, adding that access to the American market for Moroccan agricultural products remains below Morocco’s ambitions and its export potential. In this regard, the Kingdom strongly reiterated its requests for market access for heat-treated poultry meat as well as for fruits and vegetables.
The textile industry, for its part, presents good prospects, the minister stressed, welcoming the fact that efficient management of this dimension of cooperation allows for a glimpse of growth within the framework of the FTA that unites the two countries. He added that Moroccan and American operators are making common cause as they face the same challenges posed by strong competition from Asian countries and their aggressive prices.
Regarding the automotive sector, Mezzour dwelt at length on customs cooperation, which is likely to ensure effective customs control of goods exchanged between the two countries and facilitate bilateral trade flows.
Referring to the environmental dimension, he welcomed the recent signing of the latest action plan, “whose implementation will help align our ambitions in this area”
The Moroccan official stressed, regarding investment, that “We should welcome the establishment in Morocco of 150 renowned American companies in several sectors, which demonstrates the confidence granted by the United States to Morocco in a context where the business climate has considerably improved in the Kingdom.”
And to conclude that Morocco has “all the vocations to constitute a structural pillar of American approaches within the framework of the new green industrial and procurement policy, in particular that of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).”
“The Kingdom could be a gateway for the United States to Africa to address the region’s markets and a strategic link in the development of resilient and sustainable supply chains in many strategic sectors (automotive, renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, FinTech, ITC and infrastructure)”, he said.
An assessment confirmed by the Deputy Trade Representative of the United States for the Europe and Middle East region, Bryant Trick.
The American side welcomed the dynamics of economic and trade relations since the signing of the FTA while stressing that the consolidation of its implementation will be beneficial for both parties. Trick thus welcomed Morocco as a platform for the creation of new economic and trade opportunities for American companies in order to strengthen both the quality and quantity of trade. He also recognized the enhanced potential that this agreement could offer by improving access to the American market for Moroccan exports.
On the other hand, Ambassador Armani said that the free trade agreement is a catalyst for bringing together the business communities between the two countries, noting that this meeting is an opportunity to take stock and assess the level of implementation of this agreement.
He expressed Morocco’s desire to develop trade relations with the United States and promote investment, while welcoming the level of trade.
On the sidelines of the committee meeting, the Minister of Industry and Commerce held a series of meetings with senior American officials, including at the State Department where he was received by the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, Jose Fernandez.
Other meetings were also scheduled with the US Department of Energy as well as with the heads of several specialized agencies such as the DFC and Prosper Africa.
Morocco’s assets as an attractive destination for investments and a springboard for strengthening trade between the United States and Africa were at the heart of a meeting and debate initiated on Tuesday in Washington by the American research center Atlantic Council.
Organized on the sidelines of the 8th session of the Joint Committee responsible for monitoring the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the meeting was hosted by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Washington, Youssef Amrani, and the President of the Corporate Council For Africa, Forizel Leiser, in the presence of representatives of American departments, the business world, research and the media.
On this occasion, Mezzour noted that the Dakhla Atlantic port is called upon to consolidate Morocco’s infrastructure and its positioning as a hub for investments in Africa as well as it will constitute a maritime outlet for the Sahel countries towards the Atlantic Ocean.
The minister also reviewed the efforts made by Morocco to strengthen the competitiveness of production sectors with a view to contributing to stimulating foreign direct investment.
Regarding the free trade agreement, the only one linking the United States to an African country, Mezzour stressed the importance of breathing new life into this agreement concluded 20 years ago, noting that Morocco is keen to diversify its partners and strengthen economic activity and competitiveness. In this regard, he indicated that Morocco aspires to double the size of its economy and will spare no effort to achieve this.
In his speech, the Moroccan ambassador to the United States recalled that long-standing friendship and common strategic interests have made Rabat and Washington “essential partners on many issues and a multitude of challenges ranging from security threats, climate change, energy to promoting shared values of peace, stability and economic liberalism.”
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the free trade agreement, it is important to recognize its central role in expanding trade opportunities.”he said, adding that this framework of cooperation today constitutes the cornerstone of Moroccan-American economic relations.
The United States and Africa now have many mechanisms such as the US-Morocco FTA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Atlantic Initiative, he noted, noting that these mechanisms constitute “powerful and complementary instruments” for economic growth, investment stimulation, resilience and job creation in both Africa and the United States.
For her part, the president of the Corporate Council for Africa noted that the reforms undertaken by Morocco in key sectors have helped attract foreign investment, making the Kingdom a model in the region and in Africa.
She also mentioned the importance of boosting the Moroccan-American partnership through the diversification of trade, stressing that the Kingdom, the only African country linked to the United States by a free trade agreement, is establishing itself as a leading investor in Africa.
The speaker also welcomed the reforms undertaken by the Kingdom to promote policies that strengthen the participation of women and young people in various sectors of activity.
