The first meeting of the coordination committee of the US-Omani free trade agreement started here on Sunday. The Omani side was headed by Commerce and Industry Minister Maqboul Bin Ali Bin Sultan, while the US side was headed by Assistant Trade Representative in the Office of Europe and the Middle East Christopher Wilson, reported the Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA). Omani Commerce and Industry Ministry's Director General of Organization and Commercial Relations Khalid Al-Shuaibi said in a press statement that participants in the meeting discussed developments regarding the bilateral trade agreement, which was signed in 2006, and that came into effect at the start last year (2009). He expressed Oman's desire to increase opportunities of selling Omani and US products in joint industrial, agricultural, and commodities markets. Muscat also aims to provide more opportunities for the services sector, he said. The trade agreement allows the flow of 100 percent of commodities and industrial products without custom fees, he said, adding that it also provides a safe and assuring legal framework for Omani and US investors.
