Enterprise Florida (EFI) will lead a business delegation of Florida manufacturers and services providers to facilitate business cooperation between the Florida delegates and their counterparts in North Africa. This trade mission also aims to further trade relations between Florida and Morocco.
Morocco is seen as the gateway to sub-Saharan Africa with its developed trade environment. With a total population of 35 million people and having the sixth largest economy in Africa, Morocco has become a top destination for foreign investments and trade. Morocco has increased investment in its port, transportation, and industrial infrastructure to position itself as a center and broker for business throughout Africa. The U.S.-Moroccan Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in 2006, is the only U.S. FTA with an African nation. The FTA eliminated tariffs on 95 percent of currently traded consumer and industrial goods exported to Morocco; provides
enhanced protection for U.S. intellectual property rights, including trademarks and digital copyrights; expanded protection for patents and product approval information; and enforces stricter penalties for piracy and counterfeiting.
Florida companies’ world-class goods and services have a significant competitive advantage and are well-suited for the types of industries being pursued by businesses in Morocco. Enterprise Florida is collaborating with the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) in Casablanca to coordinate the mission and facilitate one on one meetings with potential clients for the Florida participants. Additionally, mission participants will benefit from networking events and meeting contacts outside of the scheduled B2B appointments.
Trade Grants Available
EFI will offer a limited number of Gold Key Service Packages (one-on-one appointments) through the USCS to qualified Florida companies. The price of this service is $2,300, however, companies who qualify for the Gold Key as a “small business” based on SBA size standards may qualify for a Gold Key Grant from Enterprise Florida. The grant will reimburse 100% of the Gold Key Package Registration fee for the first company representative. A separate online application will be provided to companies once they are approved by the USCS and EFI for the Gold Key Package as a small business to determine if they qualify for the grant.
For more information, please contact:
Joseph Bell | jbell@enterpriseflorida.com | (813) 276-9430 or Larry Bernaski | lbernaski@enterpriseflorida.com | (904) 359-9350
Visit the Export Sales Mission to Morocco Flyer for more information