July 23, 2004 Washington, DC -- The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) today applauded the United States Congress for approving legislation to implement the U.S.-Morocco free trade agreement (FTA).  The legislation was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday with strong bipartisan support. The measure sailed through the Senate (85-13) on Wednesday. 

 

"Congress is to be commended for moving swiftly to approve the U.S.-Morocco FTA," said ITI President Rhett Dawson. "This trade pact contains key provisions that will benefit the U.S. technology industry and the U.S. economy, including market access, tariff elimination, e-commerce, intellectual property rights, services, and telecommunications services."

The U.S. high tech sector has enjoyed a trade surplus with Morocco in each of the last three years.  In 2003 the U.S. high tech sector exported nearly $100 million in goods to Morocco. The U.S. exported $465 million in total merchandise to Morocco last year.

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) represents the leading U.S. providers of information technology (IT) products and services. ITI is the voice of the high tech community, advocating policies that foster U.S. economic growth and job creation by advancing U.S. leadership in technology and innovation; expanding market access for IT products; protecting consumer privacy and choice; promoting e-commerce; and enhancing the global competitiveness of its member companies.

ITI member companies include Accenture, Agilent Technologies, Apple, Canon U.S.A., Cisco, Corning, Dell, Eastman Kodak, eBay, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, IBM, Intel, Lexmark, Microsoft, National Semiconductor, NCR, Oracle, Panasonic, SAP, Sony Electronics, Sun Microsystems, Symbol Technologies, Tektronix, Time Warner, and Unisys. For more information, contact Shannon Feaster at sfeaster@itic.org.

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