Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Members and officials from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) are taking part in an official visit to Morocco this ongoing week.
NASDA represents all 50 states and four territories of the United States and is a self-declared “nonpartisan association working to influence policy that is beneficial for all regions, people, and environments.”
The NASDA delegation was in Rabat yesterday and Casablanca today to meet with leaders in Morocco’s agricultural sector! They met with businesses about collaboration opportunities and toured training facilities where the #nextgen of agriculture and business sectors are taught. pic.twitter.com/cxMt3sxjvW
— NASDA (@NASDAnews) January 9, 2024
The visit is spearheading a trade mission under the Emerging Markets Program (EMP). An initiative that helps US organizations promote exports of US agricultural products to countries that have market-oriented economies and that have the potential to be viable commercial markets.
In a post on their official X page, NASDA wrote: “The NASDA delegation was in Rabat yesterday and Casablanca today to meet with leaders in Morocco’s agricultural sector! They met with businesses about collaboration opportunities and toured training facilities where the #nextgen of agriculture and business sectors are taught.”
Through the EMP, the US Foreign Agriculture Services provides “cost-share funding for technical assistance activities such as feasibility studies, market research, sectorial assessments, orientation visits, specialized training, and business workshops,” according to their website.
The EMP equally supports exports of generic US agricultural commodities and products.
The bilateral trade relations between the United States and Morocco have been underpinned by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on June 15, 2004. The FTA marked a significant milestone in fostering economic ties between the two nations. The agreement came into force on January 1, 2006.
In recent years, the US agricultural sector has played a pivotal role in this bilateral trade dynamic. Morocco’s imports of American agricultural goods surged to $613.3 million in 2022.
Morocco mainly imports grains from the US including soybean meal, tree nuts, and corn. Meanwhile, the North African country exports fertilizers and electric equipment, among others.
Beyond trade, Security cooperation is also an important part of the constantly evolving and improving Morocco-US bilateral ties.
US officials have repeatedly expressed their satisfaction with security cooperation between the two countries, notably including in the fight against terrorism.
Rabat and Washington have a long “history of strong” counterterrorism cooperation, the US State Department said in its latest annual Country Terrorism report, stressing the “vigilant” security approach adopted by the North African country to tackle terror threats.
“The Government of Morocco continued its comprehensive strategy that includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies,” the report emphasized.
Read Also: Moroccan American Network Scales Up Efforts to Boost US-Moroccan Trade Ties
