U.S., Qatar enter trade and investment framework agreement
The United States and Qatar have entered a trade and investment framework agreement to improve trading conditions between the countries.
The agreement is also expected to lead to a free-trade agreement between the countries, said U.S. trade representative Robert B. Zoellick in a March 19 statement.
According to the USTR, in 2003, the United States exported $408 million of goods to Qatar, including machinery, planes, vehicles, and optical and medical instruments. The United States also imported $331 million in goods that year from Qatar, including mineral fuel and fertilizers.
Qatar is the ninth Middle East country to enter a trade and investment framework agreement with the United States. The Bush administration’s goal is to create a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013.