Pakistan's total exports to Morocco stand at about $13 million annually, comprising mainly cotton, fabrics, readymade garments, textile and tanned leather.
Morocco-European Union (EU) FTA was concluded in 1995. It commercially linked Morocco with EU. It does not have quota restrictions on textile products to European countries. Its major exports to EU include hosiery and ready-made garments.
Recently Morocco and the USA have signed FTA, which further enhances the status of Morocco as a potential trading partner. Pakistan can increase its share in exports to Morocco as a potential trading partner.
The commerce ministry hopes that Pakistan could increase its share in exports to Morocco provided its products are granted preferential treatment.
During the Export Promotion Bureau chairman's visit to Morocco in 2003 and as a result of various official contacts with the Moroccan ministry of foreign trade, a common desire has been expressed by both the countries to initiate discussion on concluding a PTA, which would provide preferential market access to each other's products.
According to these sources, Pakistan started negotiations for economic co-operation with Indonesia since long.
During visit of the Indonesian minister of industries and trade to Pakistan, a joint statement was signed in August 2003 by the commerce ministers of both the countries.
Both sides had agreed to initiate a process of establishing a comprehensive economic partnership (CEP) that would eventually lead to the FTA.
They said both countries signed a bilateral trade agreement in December 2003 during the visit of Indonesian President to Islamabad.
Article 16 of the said agreement also envisaged initiation of the process of establishing CEP, which would lead to the FTA.