Bush Ties Trade Pact With Egypt to More Freedom
WASHINGTON, May 18 - President Bush met with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif of Egypt on Wednesday and held out the possibility of a free trade agreement if Egypt continued its political and economic reforms.
The two men discussed the recent pledge by President Hosni Mubarak to hold open presidential elections this fall, with the implicit understanding that a free and fair election would bolster Egypt's chance for a stronger trade relationship with the United States.
Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, said the administration was working with Congress on ways to push ahead with a possible free-trade agreement "in light of the reforms" that Egypt was undertaking.
"The president has asked our United States trade representative and the prime minister has asked the Egyptian trade minister to look at ways to put in place the conditions necessary to advance that objective," Mr. McClellan said.
Mr. Nazif said after his White House meeting with Mr. Bush that he "got really a very good response" on the idea of creating a free trade agreement.
Mr. Nazif also said the president had given him some counsel: "His advice was that Egypt should be able to show the world that it can hold a free and fair election."
While trade with Egypt has been under discussion for more than five years, Mr. Bush said Wednesday that he had asked his trade representative to press ahead with talks to remove obstacles to formal negotiations for a trade agreement.
Egypt is one of the countries envisioned in a Middle East Free Trade Agreement - which includes the northern African countries of the Maghreb region - that Mr. Bush announced two years ago. Discussions about opening up trade hit a bump several years ago when Egypt dropped out of a lawsuit brought by the United States against the European Union over its policies restricting imports of genetically altered food. The case is still pending before the World Trade Organization.
Since then, Egypt has taken steps to prepare for a free trade agreement by changing laws and regulations covering intellectual property rights, telecommunications and information technology.
Some ink:
In 2004, USA exports to Egypt amounted to $3,104.5Million, while imports from Egypt amounted to $1,330.0Million, leaving USA with a balance of $1,774.5Million. But then again, USA gives Egypt about $1.3 Billion annually in aid and grants – possibly since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel. Egypt is the largest recipient of American aid in Africa and is second only to Israel in the world. Israel gets over $2Billion annually in US aid or 13% of the aid that USA gives to all countries. Egypt clocks in at 10%. And, for both countries this is in addition to 'debt forgiveness'. Iraq, Pakistan and Russia also get substantial U.S. aid.
In comparison, Uganda’s trade with USA is paltry mainly because we have little of value to sell (just look at our puny industrial output, our agricultural output for export is insignificant) and we have no money with which to pay for American made goods. In 2004, USA exports to Uganda amounted to $63.7Million, while imports from Uganda amounted to $25.8Million, leaving USA with a balance of $38Million – i.e. a deficit for Uganda.
It is against that sort of background that our fearless leader in his infinite wisdom, ordered a $40M Gulf Stream jet, a $300,000 plus Hummer, etc. from USA for himself. And you wonder why we are poor!
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