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MEFTA

Council created to boost US-Arab trade
10-Jul-2005 Daily Star
The new body will work to fully open region’s markets to American firms.
U.S. encourages trade expansion with Arab World
24-May-2005 Yemen Observer
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has engaged in intensive negotiations with a number of Arab countries to develop bilateral trade agreements which it intends to knit together into a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013.
New round of UAE, US FTA talks productive
21-May-2005 Khaleej Times
The United States said on Thursday that it is pleased with the progress made in this week’s trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
New US trade czar faces tests at home and abroad
11-May-2005 IPS
US Trade Representative Rob Portman, now in his second week on the job, faces numerous challenges as he seeks to build support at home and abroad for an ambitious US trade agenda, observers say.
Mideast building trade ties with US
29-Mar-2005 LA Times
The Bush administration’s plan: to negotiate a series of trade agreements that would eventually fuse one of the world’s most economically and politically unstable regions into a giant free-trade zone.
An international political economy view of EU-GCC partnership
1-Mar-2005 UNED
After several years of being blocked, the signing of the EU-GCC FTA seems imminent. At the same time, the US is launching an ambitious proposal for a US-Middle East Free Trade Area in 2013, with Bahrain being the last country to adhere to a list that already includes Morocco and Jordan.
US restarts Egypt trade talks
28-Feb-2005 Washington Times
The Bush administration in its second term is continuing its drive for closer economic ties with the Middle East, restarting trade-related talks with Egypt this week and formally opening free-trade agreement negotiations with Oman and the United Arab Emirates next month.
Middle East Free Trade Area: progress report
25-Feb-2005 US Embassy Italy
Since the Bush Administration first announced its trade initiative, it has made substantial progress in working with MEFTA entities to develop TIFAs, BITs, and FTAs.
Morocco’s parliament approves FTA with US
20-Jan-2005 Khaleej Times
Morocco’s parliament approved a free-trade accord (FTA) with the United States, paving the way for its implementation in two months and bringing Washington closer to its goal of sealing a free trade agreement covering most of the Middle East and North Africa by 2013.
The US-Jordan FTA: Defogging the Myth
31-Dec-2004
The purpose of this article is to give an account of the history and some provisions of the US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement and assess the extent to which the FTA provides a viable “model” to the proposed US-Middle East Free Trade Agreement.
US-Bahrain trade deal exposes GCC chinks
28-Dec-2004 Daily Star
The US-Bahrain deal undermines the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) as a collective body.
US trade tactic splits Arab states
22-Dec-2004 IPS
A free trade deal between the United States and the tiny Persian Gulf Kingdom of Bahrain is causing friction with other Arab states, which say the pact could weaken their economic bloc ahead of future trade talks with Washington.
Cash-strapped Jordan aims high
12-Dec-2004 AME Info
After spending years negotiating FTAs with the US, Europe and fellow Arab countries, Jordan is determined to gain a competitive advantage for Jordanian industries in world markets. And Washington appears eager to help them achieve success.
To stay healthy, US-Saudi ties need attention
5-Nov-2004
Over the past year, the George W. Bush administration has prepared a comprehensive political and economic reform initiative aimed at promoting democracy in the Middle East.
New Middle East trade promotion group formed
4-Nov-2004
A new trade promotion group — the US Middle East Free Trade Coalition (USMEFTA) — has been created to "expand free trade between the US and the Middle East and to encourage economic development, transparent and accountable governance, and enhanced prospects for the people of the Middle East region."
’Change in labour law must for UAE-US FTA’
16-Oct-2004 Khaleej Times
UAE will have to change its labour code to meet international labour laws, revise the agency law and investment / sponsorship rules in order to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US, according to US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.
US business pushing for Middle East FTA
8-Oct-2004 IPS
Major US corporations are joining forces to lobby for a US-Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA) that President George W Bush proposed in 2003.
US economic and trade policy in the Middle East
11-Sep-2004 DISAM
Excerpts of the testimony by Alan P. Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs, presented to the Senate Finance Committee on March 10, 2004.
US, Oman sign TIFA, agree to begin FTA negotiations
27-Jul-2004
The United States and the Gulf state of Oman July 7 signed an agreement aimed at promoting bilateral trade and investment and agreed to begin free trade negotiations later this year.
Operation enduring free trade: War, the Middle East and Bush’s bilateral free trade and investment crusade
11-May-2004 ZNet
While US forces bombed, murdered and maimed their way to "freedom" and "democracy" in Falluja and across Iraq, George Bush reiterated his vision for the Middle East to the US public on April 13th, 2004