Issues relating to the definition of direct shipment and Morocco's application of tariff-rate quotas for wheat imports from the United States have arisen since the FTA's implementation. U.S. concerns with respect to these issues were raised at the first meeting of the bilateral Joint Committee (the FTA's governing body) in March 2008, and at a number of other meetings, as well as in written exchanges before and after the Joint Committee meeting, including with respect to wheat, at the June 2008 meeting of the Subcommittee on Agricultural Trade.
Since the U.S.-Morocco FTA entered into force, there have been significant increases in bilateral trade - overall trade in goods between the United States and Morocco increased 148 percent between 2005 and 2008 from $927 million in 2005 to $2.3 billion in 2008. While bilateral trade has declined during 2009 due to global economic conditions, both the United States and Morocco are hopeful that the multi-year positive trend will soon return.
The Joint Committee meets annually to discuss issues surrounding the FTA and its administration, including cooperative efforts to expand trade and investment and to improve the business climate. The Joint Committee also attempts to resolve any concerns brought to its attention by either party. The Joint Committee is chaired by USTR and the Moroccan Ministry of External Commerce.
