July 23, 2004
THE FREE TRADINGEST PRESIDENT EVER:
Morocco gets US free trade deal (BBC, 7/23/04)
A free trade agreement between Morocco and the United States has come into immediate effect.The US House of Representatives gave its final approval on Thursday. It is the first trade agreement the US has signed with an African country.
Last month Morocco was designated a major non-Nato US ally by President Bush, in recognition of the country's support in the US-led war on terror.
US farmers are expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the deal.
"This free trade agreement... signals our commitment to deepening America's relationship with the Middle East and North Africa," US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said in a statement.
The deal eliminates more than 95% of tariffs on consumer products and industrial goods, other tariffs will end in nine years.
Morocco is one of the places where if we can get them developing fast enough economically they're on the verge of becoming a stable liberal democracy (hopefully a monarchical republic). Posted by Orrin Judd at July 23, 2004 4:48 PM
Even more delicious: does anybody remember what the name of Morocco used to be? My family (dad in USAF) was stationed there in the 50's when I was in the 3rd grade.
They had a slight revolution while we lived there. It used to be known as French Morocco!
And, yes, they kicked the French out at gunpoint.
Posted by: ray at July 24, 2004 12:50 AM