The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is pleased to support the following program featuring an update by Ambassador Miriam Shapiro, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, on the Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa:
TO REGISTER: http://www.wita.org/en/calendarevents/v/1226/
The U.S.-Middle East Free Trade Coalition, in partnership with the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) has organized a panel discussion with Deputy USTR Miriam Sapiro and other USG agencies working in the region on Thursday, September 15, 9:00-10:30am at the Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W). DUSTR Sapiro will provide an update on the Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa.
The US government has committed to undertake a series of initiatives in support of the ‘Arab Spring’ developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Our distinguished speakers will discuss what this means, bring us up to date on what has been done so far, and outline the broader vision for the region.
*** How will the US promote intra-regional integration in the Middle East and North Africa?
*** How can the U.S. and the EU work together?
*** How will the USG determine the top regional priorities for reform, investment, and trade liberalization?
Speakers:
Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative
Peggy Philbin, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Trade & Development Agency
Other Speakers to be Announced
Moderator: Rick Johnston, Sr. VP, International Government Affairs, Citigroup
Background:
On May 18 President Obama a new economic initiative for the Middle East based around four key pillars – support for better economic management, support for economic stability, support for economic modernization, and the development of a framework for trade integration and investment.
The fourth pillar, a comprehensive Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative in the Middle East and North Africa, maintains the key objectives of our joint work over the years with the U.S. Middle East Free Trade Coalition. The initiative seeks to combine efforts with the European Union to build on existing U.S. and EU agreements in the region to promote regional integration and intra-regional trade and investment. Specifically, the announcement provides for the following:
Develop a framework for trade integration and investment. If you take out oil exports, the MENA region of nearly 400 million people exports about the same amount of goods as does Switzerland, with less than 8 million people. Moreover, regional trade structures are poorly integrated, as MENA sourced just 13 percent of their imports from other countries in the region. Developing Asian countries, in contrast, sourced over 25 percent of their imports from regional partners. The United States will launch a comprehensive Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative in the Middle East and North Africa. We will work with the European Union as we launch step-by-step initiatives that will facilitate more robust trade within the region, build on existing agreements to promote greater integration with U.S. and European markets, and open the door for those countries who adopt high standards of reform and trade liberalization to construct a regional trade arrangement.
A Fact Sheet on the White House announcement of Economic Support for the Middle East and North Africa may be found at:
The U.S.-Middle East Free Trade Coalition and several member associations organized discussions with USTR on the Trade & Investment Partnership Initiative-MENA in the past few months. Key points and suggestions, which reflect the range of views expressed in those meetings, are outlined in the Discussion Summary, which may be found at:
http://www.nftc.org/default/trade/MEFTA/0811%20Coalition%20MENA%20Discussion%20with%20USTR.pdf
