1. The Protocol for Morocco to accede to the GATT was signed by Morocco's Minister for Trade. 2. Morocco will become the 94th contracting party to the GATT, effective in 30 days on June 17th. 3. By becoming a contracting party, Morocco will be able to fully participate in GATT's work including the Uruguay Round, and will benefit from tariff concessions negotiated by other parties since 1948.

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PRESSCOMMUNIQUE ~~~~~~~~~GENERAL,AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS
RELEASF DE PRESSF AND TRADE CCORD GENERALSUR LES TARIFS
DOUANIERS ET LE COMMERCE
CENTRE WILLIAM-RAPPARD, 154, RUE DE LAUSANNE, 1211 GENEVE 21, TEL. 022 31 0231
GATT/141 1
18 May 1987
MOROCCO TO BECOME A MEMBER OF GATT
The Protocol for the Accession to the GATT of the Kingdom of Morocco
was signed today, at GATT Headquarters in Geneva, by Mr. Abdellah Azmani,
Minister for Trade.
Accession will take effect in 30 days, on 17 June, when Morocco is
expected to become the 94th Contracting Party to the GATT.
The terms of the Protocol were negotiated in a working party whose
report was adopted by the GATT Council on 22 May 1986. After completion of
the relevant tariff negotiations, the Contracting Parties approved
Morocco' s accession to the General Agreement by a two-thirds majority, in a
decision dated 19 February 1987.
On becoming a contracting party to the General Agreement, Morocco will
be able to participate fully in all GATT's work, including the Uruguay
Round of multilateral trade negotiations. It will benefit from all tariff
concessions negotiated by GATT contracting parties since the inception of
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2. GATT/1411
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the General Agreement in 1948; these concessions are bound in the tariff
schedules of GATT's member States. Morocco will enjoy the other benefits
of GATT membership including the possibility of recourse to the dispute
settlement procedures.
With its accession to the GATT, Morocco has granted tariff bindings to
other Cont-acting Parties at rates not exceeding 45 per cent. Many tariff
bindings are at a lower rate.
GATT's basic aim is to liberalize and to achieve greater security in
world trade through the reduction or elimination of tariff and non-tariff
barriers. It provides a forum for negotiation on current international
trade issues, thereby contributing to economic growth and development. The
General Agreement has a number of provisions which deal particularly with
the trade interests and needs of developing countries; some of these
provisions were reinforced as a result of the Tokyo Round of multilateral
trade negotiations in GATT which concluded in 1979.
END