Morocco-USA: 8th Session of the Joint Committee for Monitoring the FTA Held in Washington
Washington, from 1st july to 3rd july 2024
The 8th session of the joint committee responsible for monitoring the Morocco - United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was held from July 1 to 3, 2024, in Washington. This session allowed for the examination of the progress made in implementing the FTA and identifying future opportunities to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in the automotive, agriculture, textile, trade, and investment sectors.
The American side welcomed the dynamic economic relations between the two countries and praised the major reforms undertaken by Morocco, notably the new Investment Charter. It recognized Morocco's key role as a hub facilitating new economic and commercial opportunities for American businesses.
On the sidelines of this session, the Moroccan delegation held several important meetings, notably:
- With Mr. José W. Fernandez, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment at the Department of State;
- With Ms. Florizelle Liser, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA);
- With Ms. British Robinson, Coordinator of Prosper Africa;
- With Ms. Julie Cerqueira, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy;
- With Ms. Nisha Biswal, Deputy CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation;
- With Mr. Bryant Trick, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East.
The Moroccan delegation that led these discussions included, notably, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Ryad Mezzour, His Excellency the Ambassador of His Majesty the King, Mr. Youssef Amrani, the Director General of Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr. Abdelouahed Rahal, and the Director of International Cooperation, Communication, and Partnerships at the Ministry of Investment, Convergence, and Evaluation of Public Policies, Mr. Zakaria Farahat.
