United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act

UNITED STATES-MOROCCO FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT -- (House of Representatives - July 22, 2004)

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 738, I call up the bill (H.R. 4842) to implement the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Passage of this agreement stands to greatly benefit the United States of America, which enjoys a consistent yearly trade surplus with Morocco, totaling over $1.5 billion from 1992 to 2003. This agreement is a high-standard, comprehensive one that will eliminate tariff and nontariff barriers to trade.

In fact, the agreement represents the best industrial and consumer goods market access package of any U.S. FTA with a developing nation. The agreement also levels the playing field for U.S. businesses, farmers, and workers vis-a-vis European competitors, who have for far too long enjoyed a competitive advantage over the United States suppliers of goods, services, and agricultural products. The agreement will also serve as a key building block toward the establishment of a broader Middle East free trade area.

Through this FTA, Morocco also sets an important example throughout the developing world of the benefits of trade liberalization and strategic importance of high-standard rules that should govern trade. In this respect, the FTA includes the best of intellectual property rights protections negotiated to date by the United States.

In addition, the Moroccan government has used the FTA negotiating process to strengthen its own laws, particularly with respect to the status of women and labor rights, two measures which distinguish Morocco from many of its Arab neighbors.

Finally, this FTA is historic. It is a historic milestone in the United States and Morocco bilateral relationship, which began well over 200 years ago, where Morocco was the first country to recognize the newly independent United States of America. Morocco today remains one of the United States' closest political allies in the war against terror and a steadfast friend in advancing peace in the Middle East.

And it is for these reasons I urge all of my colleagues to support the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. This is a solid agreement that promotes our commercial interests and contains important provisions on agriculture, labor, and intellectual property.

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