The United States and Oman have finalized negotiations leading to a free trade agreement that would take down all trade barriers between the two countries, according to the Associated Press. The two countries are set to announce the agreement later today, according to the report. The agreement would have to be approved by both houses of Congress. The Bush administration has strongly advocated free trade agreements, arguing that opening up the U.S. economy to unrestricted trade with Middle East countries will help provide them with an economic boon that could translate into greater political openness. The United States already has in place free trade agreements with Jordan, Morocco, and Bahrain. Congress has approved the Morocco and Jordan agreements, and the Bush administration hopes to gain approval for the Bahrain agreement later this year. The United States is also pursuing a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
