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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Middle East and Africa Department is dedicated to advancing the commercial opportunities and interests of the broader U.S. business community in these two dynamic regions by leveraging our network of American Chambers of Commerce, U.S. government agencies, U.S. embassies abroad, and foreign embassies in Washington, the department provides unparalleled access for its member companies across the regions.
Middle East and Africa Affairs Brochure
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Middle East Programs
The Middle East and Africa Department represents U.S. Chamber member company interests in the Middle East by advocating trade and investment policies that facilitate business in the region's markets. The combined bilateral trade between the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in 2006 was more that $62 billion—more than U.S. bilateral trade with India or Brazil. The United States now has free trade agreements (FTAs) with four countries in the Middle East (Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, and Israel), enhancing the access and attractiveness of these markets.
Below are some of the priorities of the Middle East and Africa Department:
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Supporting the U.S. government Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA) initiative and bilateral trade agreements with the economies of the region.
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Advocating for U.S. export and investment policies which balance U.S. security interests in the Middle East while ensuring a commercial environment that is conducive to continued U.S. business engagement with its Middle East counterparts.
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Continuing to act as the premier venue for dialogue between U.S. and Middle East business and government decision makers.
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Monitoring key legislation on Capitol Hill that affects our commercial relationship in the Middle East.
U.S.-Lebanon Private Sector Partnership Initiative:
With the support of Cisco Systems, Inc. on behalf of the Partnership for Lebanon, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and our institutional partners in Lebanon have developed a set of on-line tools and information, hands-on services and activities that will assist your business to:
-Find out about market trends and opportunities for business-to-business partnering
-Find and qualify potential trade and investment partners meeting your specifications
-Interact with potential partners and form long-term relationships
Whether you're in products or services, if you're seeking Lebanese or U.S. market expansion, distribution, competitive sources of supply, joint venture, contract manufacturing, product development, investment, M & A, technology transfer or any variation, our Business Portal to Lebanon can give you the most direct path to the right partner in both countries. Enter an arena of business collaboration—join the Business Portal to Lebanon community!
Link: http://www.portaltolebanon.com
Africa Programs
U.S.-Africa CEO Survey
Through a strategic partnership with a leading South African communications consulting firm, the U.S. Chamber is conducting the first-ever study of U.S.-African business relations by targeting the views of CEOs and chairmen of U.S. industries. This senior-level review of commercial attitudes toward doing business in Africa will provide insight into the challenges, perceived and real, that U.S. companies confront in their decision-making process.
The survey results will translate into a more productive dialogue between U.S. and African CEOs and offer a platform for discussing commercial barriers and opportunities and for making specific recommendations to U.S. and African policymakers.
EAC and Intellectual Property Rights
The U.S. Chamber and its affiliate, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, have embarked on a multifaceted campaign to curb the theft of intellectual property in the East African Community. U.S. companies have consistently identified counterfeit products as a primary obstacle to both market entry and commercial development. In 2006, a coalition of business interests gathered government and business leaders across East Africa to discuss the importance of innovation and intellectual property in the development of economies.
African Trade Delegations
The Middle East and Africa Department strongly believes that interface between U.S. entrepreneurs and their African counterparts are vital to creating and sustaining commercial relationships. To foster these relationships, the department organizes delegations of business leaders, government decision makers, and thought leaders both in the United States and throughout the continent.
Councils
The Middle East and Africa Department is also home to two bilateral business councils: The U.S.-Bahrain Business Council and the US-UAE Business Council. The department considers all the Gulf Cooperation Countries to be priority countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman). Complimenting this robust portfolio, the Department has ongoing interests in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Iraq.
U.S.-Bahrain Business Council:
The U.S.-Bahrain Business Council (USBBC) was inaugurated on September 14, 2006 at the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America. The USBBC is the premier international forum where public and private sector stockholders can address bilateral business relations. The Council considers, in depth, the fundamental policy issues affecting U.S. economic relations. This includes advising both U.S. and Bahraini government entities on issues of importance to our respective business communities.
The Council also serves as a platform for fostering business to business relationships between American and Bahraini entrepreneurs. The USBBC provides valuable information on all areas related to our members' interests.
Link: http://www.usbahrainbusiness.org
US-UAE Business Council
The US-UAE Business Council is committed to advancing the longstanding and valuable commercial relationship between the two countries. The Council, which was formally established in May 2007, monitors and advocates policies and initiatives of critical importance to bilateral business, provides ongoing updates on the business climate in both countries, and develops strategic relationships between U.S. and UAE. business and government officials.
The Council is affiliated with and housed at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Link: http://www.usuaebusiness.org
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