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US TRADE GROUPS SUPPORT FTA WITH MOROCCO
 
RABAT, Morocco - US trade advisory committees have voiced widespread support for the proposed US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA), saying the agreement will spur openness and economic growth in Morocco and create new opportunities for US exports.

According to a joint press release, the 32 trade advisory committees are required by law to prepare reports of their opinions on proposed trade agreements for the president and the Congress.

According to the Office of the USTR, the reports "show that the Morocco FTA is a cutting edge, modern trade agreement that will expand economic freedom and support democracy. This agreement will open new opportunities for American manufactured goods, farm products, and services ... [and] recognize that this agreement is a vital step in creating a foundation for openness and economic growth, and is another step forward in the president's vision of a Middle East Free Trade Area."

The Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations urged the FTA's "quick adoption and implementation," saying it found the agreement to be "strongly in the US interest and to be an incentive for additional bilateral and regional agreements," according to the press release.

According to the Intellectual Property Rights advisory committee, the US-Morocco FTA contains "the most advanced [intellectual property] chapter in an FTA negotiated so far."

BANGLADESH TRADE PREFERENCES THREATENED
 
WASHINGTON, DC - The Bush Administration is "seriously considering" whether to withdraw preferential trade privileges from Bangladesh following that country's failure to apply its national labor law in its Export Processing Zones (EPZs).

According to an April 9 statement, "The Government of Bangladesh does not provide freedom of association or the right to collective bargaining to workers in its EPZs."

The statement said that Bangladesh "published a notice on January 1, 2001, stating that it would extend these rights to EPZs as of January 1, 2004. However, Bangladesh has failed to do so."

Washington began reviewing Bangladesh's failure to apply legislation protecting workers' rights following a 1999 petition from the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) requesting that the country's preferential trade status be withdrawn, suspended or limited.

The USTR committee studying the matter is now seeking public comment on appropriate measures before issuing a final policy recommendation.

Bangladesh receives duty-free access to the US market on certain export items under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which is designed to boost exports from developing countries.

In 2003, Bangladesh had more than $15 million worth of exports to the US that were eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP.

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