The Chinese merchants have turned Derb Omar, one of Casablanca's largest commercial districts, into a hub where a Chinatown has emerged.[2] In this district, the merchants run small retail shops which are often subdivisions of a narrow storefront.[2] A US diplomat who visited the area to report on Chinese economic activities in Morocco noted "lower-income earners appreciate the ability that Chinese imports give them to buy previously-unattainable goods cheaply."[2]