US-Egypt free trade agreement

Despite Egypt's strategic importance to the United States, US-Egypt FTA discussions only came to life in the aftermath of the war with Iraq and of a post-September 11 determination to promote development in the Middle East.

If the United States were to select its FTA partners based on relative political importance in their regions, Egypt would top the list among Arab states.

This book considers the key economic and political characteristics of Egypt as a potential FTA partner.

It examines the benefits and challenges in pursuing bilateral negotiations with Egypt, examines the Bush proposal for a regional arrangement, and assesses the impact of a prospective FTA on other trading partners, on the Middle East/Arab world, and on the multilateral trading system.

If an FTA with Egypt materializes, the gains can be substantial to all parties involved.