USDA Trade Mission to Expand Exports to Morocco and West Africa

  |   News Release

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2024 – Representatives from nearly 50 U.S. agribusinesses and trade groups and 14 state departments of agriculture will travel to Casablanca, Morocco, Dec. 2-5, as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture trade mission to expand U.S. farm and food exports to Morocco and other West African markets.

“This mission offers a crucial opportunity for U.S. agribusinesses to enter into Morocco’s dynamic market and leverage its strategic position for wider African access,” said Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley, who will lead the mission. “We are dedicated to facilitating these vital connections and expanding U.S. agricultural exports.” 

Morocco is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa. U.S. sales of farm and food products to the country topped $619 million last year, representing 16 percent of the continent’s market share. American agricultural exports to Morocco have doubled since the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2006.

Morocco offers a stable market and growing economy and serves as a key distribution hub for the African continent. The country is already a major importer of bulk and intermediate commodities from the United States and its expanding food processing sector and rising consumer demand are creating new potential for sales of consumer-oriented products. U.S. exporters have opportunities in numerous sectors, including beef, dairy, feed grains, live animals and genetics, rice, seafood, seed potatoes, soybeans and tree nuts.

Throughout the mission, U.S. company representatives will engage in business-to-business meetings with potential buyers from Morocco and other West African countries including Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia and Senegal. 

In addition to representatives from the following businesses and organizations, Whitley will be joined by Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr, and Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Randy Romanski, and officials from the Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee and Washington departments of agriculture.

  1. 7 Seas Group - Plano, Texas
  2. Aero-Cos International - Marlboro, N.J
  3. Almond Board of California - Modesto, Calif.
  4. American Trading International – Los Angeles, Calif.
  5. Atlas International - Moorestown, N.J.
  6. Blue Heron Urban Farms and Sanctuary LLC - Chattahoochee Hills, Ga.
  7. Bright Pet - Lisbon, Ohio
  8. California Walnut Commission - Folsom, Calif.
  9. Commercial Lynks Inc. - Alexandria, Va.
  10. Danone North America - White Plains, N.Y.
  11. De Lune Corp - Springfield, Va.
  12. Duluth Seaway Port Authority - Duluth, Minn.
  13. Edward’s Trading LLC - Oak Point, Texas
  14. Flavor Consultants - North Las Vegas, Nev.
  15. Food Export-Midwest & Food Export-Northeast - Chicago, Ill.
  16. George F. Brocke & Sons, Inc. - Kendrick, Idaho
  17. Globifield USA LLC - Columbus, Ohio
  18. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) - Washington, D.C.
  19. H-Arrow Cattle Company/ Village Cheeseworks - Upperville, Va.
  20. Hazelnut Marketing Board - Wilsonville, Ore.
  21. Jacks Alimentary Supply, Inc. – Lowell, Mass.
  22. JAG Products, Inc. (dba JAG Organic Supply, LLC) - Whitefish, Mont.
  23. JM Grain - Garrison, N.D.
  24. Lamex Foods Inc - Bloomington, Minn.
  25. Merus LLC - Minneapolis, Minn.
  26. Minnesota Soybean Growers Association - Mankato, Minn.
  27. Mirasco - Atlanta, Ga.
  28. Nebraska Secretary of State - Lincoln, Neb.
  29. North American Export Grain Association - Arlington, Va.
  30. North American Renderers Association - Alexandria, Va.
  31. Organic Trade Association - Washington, D.C.
  32. Pomona Farming LP - Bakersfield, Calif.
  33. Royal Trade LLC - Taunton, Mass.
  34. Select Harvest USA - Turlock, Calif.
  35. Sun Valley Rice - Arbuckle, Calif.
  36. U.S. Dairy Export Council - Arlington, Va.
  37. U.S. Durum Products Ltd. - Lancaster, Pa.
  38. U.S. Grains Council - Washington, D.C.
  39. U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. - Mount Horeb, Wis.
  40. U.S. Meat Export Federation - Denver, Colo.
  41. U.S. Rice Producers Association - Katy, Texas
  42. U.S. Soybean Export Council - Chesterfield, Mo.
  43. USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council - Moscow, Idaho
  44. USA Poultry & Egg Export Council – Tucker, Ga.
  45. USA Rice - Arlington, Va.
  46. Valley Pride Ag Company - Fresno, Calif.

For more information about this and other USDA trade missions, visit: https://fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions.    

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.  

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Under Secretary Alexis Taylor will lead a USDA trade mission to Casablanca, Morocco, Dec. 2-5, 2024. Current and potential U.S. exporters interested in participating should apply for consideration by Aug. 28.