Review of economic relations between Morocco and Turkey
Ratified in 2004, the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey came into effect on January 1st 2006, granting Moroccan industrial products immediate access to the Turkish market, while customs duties on imported Turkish products will be gradually dismantled over a ten-year period.
The dismantlement table comprises two lists: (1) dismantlement over 10 years at a 10% annual rate starting the day the agreement comes into effect, and (2) dismantlement over 10 years at a 3% annual rate starting the day the agreement comes into effect, and at 15% the 4th year . As to rules of origin, the two parties adopted the Euro-Mediterranean Protocol when it came into effect on October 2005.
Given these conditions, the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey could provide further access to European Union markets to Moroccan products, through the Pan-European-Mediterranean cumulative system for rules of origin. It is also an important link in the integration process within the Mediterranean region, as it provides some protection against the threat posed by rising Asian competition, especially from China.
