The United States hopes to begin free-trade talks with Egypt, South Korea and Switzerland and wrap up deals with Peru, Panama and possibly Colombia in the near future, the top US trade official said on Thursday.
"We're not slowing down, and you may see some of those announcements in the next few weeks," US Trade Representative Rob Portman told reporters at a briefing where he offered a glum view of current efforts to reach a new world trade deal.
An Egyptian delegation has been in Washington to lay the final groundwork for bilateral negotiations to begin. Portman said the two sides were getting closer to launching formal talks.
A trade deal with Egypt would open up a "huge potential market for the United States," Portman said.
The pact has "extraordinary foreign policy implications" because the United States believes much of the Arab world would follow Egypt's lead in deciding to pursue a more market-oriented economy, he said.
The United States is also eager to begin talks with South Korea and Switzerland if those countries are ready to make the necessary reforms to reach a deal, he said.
Trade talks with Peru are resuming next week in Washington with the hope of resolving the "few remaining issues" that stand in the way of a deal, Portman said.
The United States also is "reaching out" to Colombia and Ecuador, hoping to strike a deal, he added.
Negotiators for the three Andean region countries were in Washington for 10 days in late November. None were able to wrap up 18 months of talks on a free trade pact, but Peru came closest, US officials said.
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