The United States and Qatar recently signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in Washington as a step towards developing closer trade ties.
Qatar is the ninth Middle Eastern country to sign a TIFA with the United States. The Bush administration has established a goal of achieving a free trade area across the Middle East by 2013.
The TIFA opens the possibility of working towards a comprehensive US-Qatar Free Trade Agreement, according to US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick.
In 2003, the United States exported $408 million worth of goods to the Qatar, a 200 percent increase from a decade ago, including machinery, aircraft, vehicles, optical and medical instruments, reported Washington File. The United States imported $331 million worth of goods from Qatar in the same year, including mineral fuel and fertilizers. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
