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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Mimi Ricketts, NCGA, (314) 308-4290
Cheri Johnson, USGC, (202) 326-0632
NCGA and
USGC Support U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C.)
March 3, 2004 – The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)
and U.S. Grains Council (USGC) applaud the conclusion of the Morocco
Free Trade
Agreement
March 2 and look forward to reviewing its provisions.
"This agreement promises
additional access while opening market opportunities for corn and feed
grain producers," said Dee Vaughan, president of NCGA. "Both
organizations thank Ambassadors Robert Zoellick and Allan Johnson,
as
well as the critical efforts of Senator Charles Grassley for bringing
these negotiations to a positive conclusion.”
USCG Chairman Terry
Wolf added, "The U.S. Grains Council has been actively building
markets in Morocco for U.S. corn, sorghum and barley for many years.
The completion
of a free trade agreement between the United States and Morocco will
further benefit U.S. feed grain exports.”
Morocco’s expanding
poultry sector is driving the country’s demand for feed grains.
While poultry is the fastest growing meat production sector in Morocco,
the cost of chicken meat production is one of the highest when compared
to other middle-income countries. Costs to the Moroccan poultry producers
will be significantly reduced through lower feed grain prices as a
result
of this agreement.
The reduction and elimination
of tariffs on U.S. corn, sorghum and barley not only provides for a
further expansion of the Moroccan market for feed grains, but also will
allow the United States to capture a larger portion of that important
growth market.
In 2002, the United States
accounted for approximately 60 percent of Morocco's total corn imports.
However, due to stiff competition from Latin America, the U.S. share
decreased to only about 10 percent of the over 1 million metric tons
Morocco imported last year. Vaughan said tariff elimination will give
U.S. producers and exporters significant tariff advantages over these
competitors.
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The National Corn
Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities
for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn’s
profitability and usage. NCGA represents more than 33,000 members,
25 affiliated state
corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who
contribute to state checkoff programs.
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