US beef wins access to Morocco
Announced by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, US beef producers will now have access to Morocco under the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. Initial estimates by the US Government indicate that Morocco would be an $80m market for US beef and beef products.
“President Trump continues to prioritise the opening of new markets for US agricultural products. New access to the Moroccan market for beef and beef products is an important step in ensuring that American farmers and ranchers can continue to expand their exports of US agricultural products,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “I welcome Morocco’s agreement to allow imports of US beef and look forward to growing our shipments to Morocco.”
“Finding new markets for American agricultural products has been a priority for the Trump Administration from day one, and the opening of the Moroccan market is good news for our producers,” said Secretary Perdue. “American beef is the best in the world, and once Moroccans get a taste of it, they’ll surely want more.”
Earlier this year, the US won access to Morocco for poultry products.
According to the US Trade Representative, in 2017, the US was the world’s third largest beef exporter, with global sales of beef and beef products valued at $7.3bn. As of November 2018, US exports of agricultural products to Morocco exceeded $512m.
National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) president Kevin Kester welcomed the announcement. “Open markets are the lifeblood of the US cattle and beef industry. New access to Morocco is welcome news for producers and we are excited that Moroccan consumers can now enjoy high-quality US beef. NCBA is grateful for the leadership President Trump, Ambassador Lighthizer, and Ambassador Doud have shown on this issue. We look forward to working with them to continue tearing down trade barriers for US beef in markets around the world.”
