Morocco Enforces Dairy and Poultry Standards Through National and WTO Frameworks

Morocco has implemented mandatory standards for milk, cheese, yogurt, and poultry across domestic and international trade channels, aligning with regional agreements and national policy directives

Compliance Overview: Mandatory Standards for Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, and Poultry in Morocco

Morocco has established mandatory standards and trade regulations for dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt) and poultry under its national policy and regional trade agreements. These standards govern both domestic production and international trade, including imports and exports, with specific tariff schedules, quotas, and liberalization commitments.

Regulation Analysis

1. Trade Liberalization and Tariff Commitments

Morocco’s trade regulations for dairy and poultry are primarily governed by the Agreement Establishing an Association between the United Kingdom and Morocco (hereafter "UK-Morocco Agreement"), which incorporates provisions from the EU-Morocco Association Agreement with modifications¹. Key requirements include:

• Elimination of Quantitative Restrictions: No new quantitative restrictions on imports (or measures with equivalent effect) may be introduced, and existing restrictions must be abolished upon the Agreement’s entry into force¹.
• Tariff Reduction and Elimination: Morocco has committed to gradual tariff reductions and eventual elimination for most agricultural products, including dairy and poultry, under specific schedules. As of 2021, Morocco liberalized 98.2% of its tariff lines (17,272 lines), covering 98.8% of its imports from the UK¹. Only 315 tariff lines (1.8% of the schedule) remain dutiable, primarily for sensitive agricultural products¹.
• Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs): For certain products, Morocco applies tariff rate quotas (TRQs), where reduced duties apply up to a specified volume, and most-favored nation (MFN) duties apply beyond the quota. TRQs are detailed in Protocol 2 of the Agreement and apply to products in List 3 (e.g., poultry, beef, milk)¹.

2. Product-Specific Standards and Tariffs

Dairy Products (Milk, Cheese, Yogurt)

Morocco’s regulations for dairy products are aligned with HS Chapters 04 (dairy produce) and include the following key provisions:

• Liberalization Timeline: Products in List 2 (e.g., yogurt) were fully liberalized by 1 January 2022, with customs duties eliminated¹. Products in List 3 (e.g., milk powder) remain subject to TRQs and gradual duty reductions¹.
• Exceptions: Morocco may introduce new rules or alter existing ones under its agricultural policy, provided such changes are notified and do not constitute arbitrary discrimination¹.

Poultry and Poultry Products

Poultry regulations fall under HS Chapters 01 (live animals), 02 (meat), and 04 (eggs). Key provisions include:

• Liberalization for Poultry: Chicken and turkey products are subject to gradual tariff reductions over 10 years, with duties decreasing by 5% annually from the base rate¹. For example, whole chicken duties start at 50% MFN and reduce by 5% each year until elimination¹.
• Live Poultry: Domestic poultry (e.g., sheep, goats) are subject to 40% MFN duties with minimal TRQs (e.g., 7 tonnes/year for goats)¹.

3. Non-Tariff Measures and Exceptions

Morocco retains the right to impose prohibitions or restrictions on imports/exports for the following reasons, provided they are not arbitrary or discriminatory¹:

• Public morality, policy, or security.
• Protection of human, animal, or plant health.
• Protection of national treasures or intellectual property.
• Rules relating to gold/silver.

These exceptions are incorporated from the EU-Morocco Association Agreement and apply to dairy and poultry products¹.

4. Conformity Assessment and Standards

Morocco is required to cooperate on standardization and quality under Title V of the UK-Morocco Agreement, including:

• Updating laboratories to meet international standards.
• Developing mutual recognition agreements for conformity assessment¹.
• Strengthening bodies responsible for intellectual property, standardization, and quality control¹.

While the Agreement does not specify detailed technical standards for dairy/poultry, it mandates alignment with international best practices¹.

5. Ongoing Review and Future Amendments

• The UK and Morocco launched a working group on agriculture tariff review in November 2023 to discuss further liberalization and removal of non-tariff barriers¹. As of March 2025, no amendments to the original Agreement have been finalized¹.
• The Association Council regularly reviews trade conditions to evaluate granting further concessions¹.

Summary Answer

Morocco’s mandatory standards for milk, cheese, yogurt, and poultry are governed by the UK-Morocco Association Agreement, which incorporates tariff reductions, tariff rate quotas (TRQs), and liberalization commitments from the EU-Morocco Association Agreement¹. Dairy products (e.g., milk powder, yogurt) are subject to 50–90.9% duty reductions within TRQs, with full liberalization for some products (e.g., yogurt) by 2022¹. Poultry products (e.g., chicken, eggs) face 50% base duty reductions + 5% annual decreases over 10 years, with TRQs ranging from 12–953 tonnes/year¹. Morocco may impose non-tariff restrictions for health, security, or public policy reasons but cannot discriminate arbitrarily¹. Ongoing reviews aim to further liberalize trade, though no amendments have been agreed as of March 2025¹. Compliance requires adherence to HS code-specific tariffs, TRQs, and conformity assessment standards¹.

Sources

1. ↩ Committee on Regional Trade Agreements – Factual presentation – Agreement establishing an association between the United Kingdom and Morocco – Goods – Report by the Secretariat https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/WT/REG/429-1.pdf&Open=True