The Government of Morocco announced that it will maintain the reduced 30 percent import duty on common wheat, set to expire at the end of April, throughout 2016. The tariff was reduced from 50 percent in late December following concerns about the impact of prolonged dry weather on the 2016 domestic crop, and as of late April, the outlook remained unfavourable. The measure aims to ensure adequate supplies in the market and maintain prices stable. Morocco has traditionally used tariffs on wheat imports to protect local producers from foreign competition and revises the duties on a periodic basis depending on the supply-demand situation in the country.