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Morocco’s MY 2022/2023 citrus production is expected to fall 35 percent from the previous season due to water scarcity and unfavorable weather. Tangerine and mandarin production are expected to decrease by 34 percent from the previous year to 900,000 MT, while orange production should fall by 35 percent to 750,000 MT.

Morocco notified G/SPS/N/MAR/93 on December 8, 2022. The notification concerns Morocco’s marketing couscous and pasta products. Comments are due no later than February 6, 2023. An unofficial translation is included in this report.

Morocco notified G/SPS/N/MAR/91 on November 2, 2022. The notification concerns Moroccan registration, import and enforcement relating to plant protection products. Comments are due no later than January 1, 2022. An unofficial translation is included in this report.

Morocco continues to import agricultural products derived from genetically engineered (GE) technologies for use in animal feed products. No GE products have been developed or commercialized for local production in Morocco. GE products are not allowed for human consumption.

Guatemala adopted science-based regulations for the adoption of agricultural biotechnology in 2018. These regulations were immediately challenged by activists but in 2021 the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court reaffirmed the legality of the regulatory process, paving the way for the approvals of the first applications in April 2021.

Morocco has become the 15th-largest fruit exporter in the world by value. According to the most recent estimates (2019) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 66 percent of its land area is devoted to agriculture, with more than 7 percent devoted to fruit production.

Morocco notified G/SPS/N/MAR/89 on October 27, 2022. The notification concerns Morocco’s list and limits of food additives authorized for use in primary products and food products, as well as the information to be displayed on their packaging. Comments are due no later than December 25, 2022. An unofficial translation is included in this report.

Morocco notified G/SPS/N/MAR/87 on October 17, 2022. The notification concerns Morocco’s maximum limits of contaminants in food and food products. Comments are due no later than December 16, 2022. Note that the Government of Morocco approved the Joint Order and published it in the Official Bulletin #7136 on October 20, 2022. An unofficial translation is included in this report.

Morocco’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional industry (HRI) started to recover in 2022, reflecting an increase in tourism arrivals as COVID-19 travel restrictions ease. According to Ministry of Tourism reports, Morocco received 3.4 million foreign visitors at the end of the first half of 2022, a 300 percent year-on-year increase (compared to a 57 percent decline in 2021).

In June 2022 the Government of Guatemala confirmed that poultry products exported to Guatemala no longer need the USDA export mark on every box, and instead USDA can apply the mark on every consignment, pallet, or transportation unit. This has resulted in more efficient export clearance times with reduced labor, dock space and loading time which ultimately translates into better poultry prices for consumers.

The HRI report provides U.S. agricultural exporters current information on market trends and the best product prospects for the Guatemalan market.

The Ministry of Health issued three updates this year: a) Presidential Decree 53-2022 establishes new fees for services as of March 1, 2022 b) Technical Norm 001-2022 provides regulations for food supplements, and c) Communication dated June 1, 2022 establishes guidance for sampling processed food products in Guatemala as part of the routine surveillance.