HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari held separate meetings yesterday with top US officials on the sidelines of the second Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue.
Al-Kuwari met with Manisha Singh, acting undersecretary of state for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; Khush Choksy, senior vice-president for Middle East and Turkey Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce; and ambassador Anne Patterson, president of the US-Qatar Business Council.
The discussions touched on the promotion of joint co-operation on the economic, commercial and industrial levels, as well as opportunities to bolster bilateral trade in light of the economic potential and resources of both the countries. Discussions also focused on the latest developments in terms of bilateral trade, industrial and investment relations, and efforts to develop stronger ties.
During the meetings, al-Kuwari outlined investment opportunities across all sectors and the legislations adopted by the state, as well as the initiatives launched to support the private sector and attract foreign direct investments.
He also highlighted the importance of exchanging visits between Qatari and US businessmen and encouraging co-operation between government agencies and the private sector to serve the common interests of both the countries.
Qatar and the US enjoy close trade relations that have positively reflected on the volume of bilateral trade, which amounted to $6bn in the first 10 months of 2018. The US ranks as the first source of Qatar’s imports and the country’s fifth trading partner, accounting for 6.23% of the Qatar’s total foreign trade.
The number of US companies operating in Qatar has risen to 682 firms, including 117 fully-owned US companies and 565 joint Qatari-US firms. In addition, 55 US companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.
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