US says no plans to resume UAE trade talks

[maddezmom]

US says no plans to resume UAE trade talks Sun Mar 11, 10:22 AM ET


DUBAI (AFP) - Politically contentious free-trade talks between the United States and the oil-rich United Arab Emirates are on hold and no date has been set for their resumption, a US official said on Sunday.


"Right now there is a pause," US Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade, Franklin Lavin, told reporters in Dubai.

"We still have issues to tackle," he said, citing investment and labour issues as some of the "hurdles" being discussed in informal talks.

Lavin highlighted the importance of the UAE as the largest Middle East market for US exports which he said was larger than Egypt and Turkey combined.

But he underscored the need to reform the business environment to allow for 100 percent foreign ownership of companies and to eliminate the requirement for most companies to have a UAE agent to operate.


more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070311/ts_afp/uaeustrade_070311141416

[jimshoes]

1. How does this affect the Halliburton move?

They don't want any oversight, period. US or UAE it seems. Pirates.

[libodem]

2. Halliburton

will probably take over the World Ports in name only and get around all the confusion about UAE inspecting US ports.