South Florida Business News
by World City Staff
Florida is organizing an export development mission to the kingdom of Morocco in northwest Africa this May.
The trip is set for May 2 to May 9 and will visit the cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech, said organizers at Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development partnership.
Morocco is the first and only country in Africa to sign a free trade agreement with the United States, mission organizers said.
The free trade agreement eliminates tariffs on more than 95 percent of U.S. consumer and industrial goods currently traded with Morocco. It also enhances protection for U.S. intellectual property rights, including trademarks, and imposes tough penalties for counterfeiting, organizers said.
Morocco has a population of 33 million people. It attracted more than 10 million visitors last year, making tourism its second largest economic activity after agriculture, government reports show.
The Florida mission will include business meetings and networking events with people both in the public and private sector. Qualified companies from Florida also may apply for grants to receive “Gold Key Services” from the U.S Commercial Service for pre-arranged meetings with potential buyers.
For further information on the mission, contact Bryant Salter of Enterprise Florida at bjsalter@enterpriseflorida.com.
