U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement

On November 15, 2004, the U.S. Trade Representative notified Congressional leaders that the Administration intended to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Oman, an important step on the path to fulfilling President Bush's initiative to advance economic reforms in the Middle East and to establish a Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA) by 2013. Negotiations for the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement concluded on October 3, 2005, after only seven months. On January 19, 2006, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and Omani Minister of Commerce and Industry Maqbool bin Ali Sultan signed the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement.

Bilateral trade in goods between the United States and Oman totaled $847.7 million in 2004, with U.S. exports accounting for $329.7 million of that amount.  The Free Trade Agreement with Oman is expected to create new exporting opportunities for U.S. businesses while at the same time promoting economic growth and democracy in the Middle East. Oman is the fifth country in the region to have successfully negotiated a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States.

For more information on the negotiations of the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement, please consult the website of the United States Trade Representative. To learn more about the U.S. Government services available to help U.S. companies enter the Omani market, please visit www.buyusa.gov/oman/en/ or the Middle East-North Africa Business Information Center (MENABIC).

Additional Resources

Text of the Agreement
Tariff Elimination
Declaring Origin
Rules of Origin
U.S. Commercial Service Oman Website