Aug 14, 2024Moroccan trade mission set for December; applications due Aug. 28
Six months after the Moroccan market opened to U.S. seed potatoes, USDA officials will lead an agribusiness trade mission to the country.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor will lead the mission to Casablanca, Morocco, from Dec. 2-5. Current and potential U.S. exporters interested in participating should apply for consideration by Aug. 28.
“This mission presents a pivotal opportunity for U.S. agribusinesses to tap into Morocco’s dynamic market and leverage its strategic position for wider African access,” Taylor said in a news release. “We are committed to facilitating these vital connections and expanding U.S. agricultural exports.”
Morocco is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa, according to the USDA. U.S. sales of farm and food products to the country topped $619 million last year, representing 16% of the continent’s market share. American agricultural exports to Morocco have doubled since the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2006.
The Moroccan market opened to U.S. seed potatoes on May 10, capping a regulatory process that began in 2015.
The U.S. and Morocco agreed to the final requirements for import during Plant Health Bilateral Meetings between the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Morocco’s sanitary authority (ONSSA) from May 6-10.
Morocco is already a major importer of bulk and intermediate commodities from the U.S., and its expanding food processing sector and rising consumer demand are creating new potential for sales of consumer-oriented products, according to the USDA.
U.S. exporters have opportunities in sectors including beef and beef products, dairy products, feed grains, live animals and genetics, rice, seafood, seed potatoes, soybeans and tree nuts.
During the mission, representatives from U.S. companies will participate in business-to-business meetings with potential importers from Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast and other West African nations. Participants will also receive in-depth market briefings USDA Foreign Agricultural Service staff and other regional trade experts.
More information and applications are available online.
