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| USA-Morocco: Free Trade Agreement |
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| 12:00:00 AM Sunday Jun 22, 2003 |
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Morocco has always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the United States, yet this relationship is only going to get stronger later on this year as the negotations for a free trade zone gets completed and the agreement signed off. The initiative was started by President Bush, and HM King Mohammed VI is ready to switch gears.
How does this free trade zone affect you? How will it affect Morocco's industry and economy? What opportunities you foresee in the future as a result of this agreement?
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| 5:05 pm November 22, 2004 |
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simohammed
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 salam,
i just wanna ask a quick question but needs long answer.
any particular products in this agreement or is it on everything???
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| 11:52 pm January 29, 2004 |
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Simple Moroccan Citizen
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Middle East Online
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First Published 2004-01-29, Last Updated 2004-01-29 11:33:28
Stick approach
Police break up free trade demo in Morocco
Witnesses say police used batons to break up 200 people protesting in Rabat against US-Morocco free trade deal.
RABAT - Moroccan police on Wednesday broke up a demonstration by some 200 people protesting against the country's planned free trade agreement with the United States, with some protesters accusing the security forces of being heavy-handed.
The demonstrators, including intellectuals and human rights activists, had gathered outside Parliament despite being told their protest had not been authorised.
According to demonstrators, police moved in and violently broke up the gathering using batons.
Among those caught up in the incident was Abdelhamid Amine, head of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.
"Policemen hit him on the back and on the head," said Abdelilah Benabdeslam, who was with Amine at the time.
"They hit him to please the Americans," he added while helping Amine to get back on his feet.
Other witnesses said film-maker Nabil Ayouch was also struck.
A police spokesman said the protest was peacefully dispersed but that scuffles had broken out among the protesters, some of whom had fallen to the ground.
The protest, called by a trade union, was against the planned US-Morocco free trade agreement, with those taking part denouncing clauses which they said threatened cultural diversity and access to health care in the kingdom.
The accord, still being negotiated, is expected to be signed in April or May.
It has upset some professions here, notably the textile, culture and health industries.
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| 12:37 pm January 22, 2004 |
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Simple Moroccan Citizen
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I don't believe any unbalanced agreement for trade or what so ever is so Free. I believe the people and the small and medium businesses will be killed as it happened in Mexico. TODAY, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING VALUABLE TO EXCHANGE OTHER THAN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE!!! IS THIS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO TRADE?????? MC-S
Live Fair, Respect Life!
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| 10:09 am September 10, 2003 |
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Lhyia
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Hi guys:
I hope that all of you had great summer and we are back to whatever we do... Surely, this last period of time came with a lot of news, many of them were in the benefit of Morocco and Moroccans and others were against. from the elections in Morocco in two days to the final free trade aggreement late this year... the convention between Morocco and France for a free trade to the position of US about the Moroccan SAHARA, many things are going on,... who is helping us because we are the first to beleive in their independancy or wants to get more resources!!!??? whos is implanting communication base in the middle of the region,... many things at the popular level are very difficult to assimilate,...
Sure, there is price to pay? and if there is a trade who is gonna pay that price? I m affarid that we will be paying other people taxes!
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| 6:14 am September 4, 2003 |
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Buzzin
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 A trade agreement between the US and Morocco is very beneficial. It will not only help employ scores of Moroccans who keep drowning in the Strait of Gibraltar, but also open the doors to a badly needed reform of the Industrial Economic Sector. The Moroccan administrative and industrial sectors are reminiscent of an "Old Bureaucratic European paradigm" that screams bloody murder for change.
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mradil
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 A fine
Essentially a free trade agreement allows concerned parties to trade certain goods without any government constraints except those limitations agreed upon in the beginning of the process. As said before by Mr. Youness details are important, in fact details will make the difference between winning party and loosing party. For example what industries will be involved, what products will be traded, in what quantities, what fail safe methods would be adopted in case either of the countries is not benefiting and witnessing its economy being hurt and so on, details just keep on going. Every country before considering FTA should determine if companies in the industries involved will be able to compete with the foreign counterparts in a way that will make them grow and not hurt. In morocco?fs case, I don't know what products this agreement will affect, so I can't judge if the concerned companied whether public or private will be able to compete. But no matter what companies will be involved I remain pessimistic that companies that form our economy are strong enough to stand as tall as the American companies. This move could either be benefiting the economy of morocco or it could be political only if it doesn?ft benefit the economy, but we can?ft know until the details are disclosed. ;)
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younes
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this message is for lhyia
I don?t know what you are confused about lhyia. I think what we are discussing here is the free trade agreement in order to understand it better. Whether we support it or not is a different issue. I don?t think that I understand your point about the lawyers and judges visiting the United States. I am not a big believer in conspiracy theories but I think that some them are entertaining. So you can go ahead and tell the rest of us, who might not be as smart as the rest of us, what is reeeeeaaaaally going on
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Lhyia
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Again,,
this is for Youness: If you know that guy, you will have a piece of the agreement, now the US are supporting Lawyers and judges from Morocco to visit US Law Schools, can you tell me YYYYY? I hope that you are smart enough to know!!!
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Lhyia
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First, I would like to invite myself back to this modeste forum... I was so surpised seeing people talking about this as very important achievement! far away from the benefits of our country! It s been longtime since years, there is free trade agreement between US in the American Continent and the State located in the African Continent,... there is no change! All the news and the journalism bomb around this affair is to prepare an american market into the african and the midlle east region,... sure to compete witht the Europeen community,... what will we benefit? we dont have anything to lose, if we define the process of our natural resource commercialisation, we will know how rich we are and when we will know how strong is ... in stealing we will realise our stupidity! ... the only sure thing is that without transparency in Morocco, we will never get benefits from anykind of agreement!! Be aware guys of the process and we dont have to believe on what we hear, few days ago you were talking about the boycott of american products and now, we are willing for cooperation! if you are confused what to do, seat down , take rest and don t give up !
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younes
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The free trade agreement is not going to happen overnight, the goods will be granted duty-free access gradually in order to avoid flooding the markets. Which products and goods will benefit from the FTA first makes a difference to both American and Moroccan business. As far as the FTA with Jordan I am not familiar with bur you can check this website for more info http://www.justrade.jo/free_trade_agreement.html
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Adnane Ben. message
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younes, maybe you can give us examples of details in similar free trade agreements, such as Jordan-USA?
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younes
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I appen to know one of the lawyers negotiating on behalf of the Moroccan government, at this point in time no one can tell what the effect of the agreement would be because the details are still being discussed. the concept of a free trade agreement seems attractive but the details are important.
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