Minister Mezouar says FTA with United States positive for both sides

29/12/2005

[File] Mezouar

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Morocco and the United States is profitable for both sides, but Morocco should be prepared to capture the open market of the United States, said Salah Eddine Mezouar, Minister of Industry, Trade and Economy Upgrading. He feels the strategic geographical position of Morocco should be highly valued and promoted in the globalised economy. Many Moroccan officials and professionals have visited the United States to explore potential markets and establish communications with American companies and clients.

US President George W. Bush, who signed an order to implement the FTA from 1 January, stressed it would bring prosperity and hope for the next generations. The agreement calls for tariffs to be eliminated on 95 per cent of bilateral trade between the United States and Morocco, with the remaining tariffs, which will be mostly in the agricultural sector, being eliminated within the next nine years. (Fiber2Fashion)