Neal Dunn: “I do rise in support of the U.S.-Morocco free trade agreement, Mr. Speaker. This is our second trade agreement with an…”

“I do rise in support of the U.S.-Morocco free trade agreement, Mr. Speaker. This is our second trade agreement with an Arab country. With our trade agreement with Morocco, along with those of Israel, Jordan, and Bahrain, we are working to improve economic opportunities in North Africa and in the Middle East. While the Moroccan economy is much smaller than ours, it remains a key export market for the United States and for my home State. In a State where approximately one in three jobs is now related to trade, it is not surprising that Washington State was the top exporter to Morocco with over $112 million in 2003. By eliminating 95 percent of the tariffs immediately on United States manufactured goods, we are improving the competitiveness of our businesses in Morocco. Of the $465 million total United States exported from Morocco last year, nearly 29 percent, or $134 million, was due to aerospace products. It is very important to the Northwest, where so many jobs are directly or indirectly affected by our aerospace industry.”