The United States and the Gulf state of Oman have reached a free trade agreement, a US trade official said on Monday. US Trade Representative Rob Portman and Omani Commerce and Industry Minister Makboul bin Ali bin Sultan set a noon press conference to discuss the deal, the official said.
The pact with Oman is the second free trade agreement between the United States and a country in the Gulf region, and the fourth with an Arab country. The White House must give Congress 90 days notice before signing the pact.
Oman, a kingdom of some 3 million people that neighbours Saudi Arabia, is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable oil and gas resources.
Two-way trade between the United States and Oman was slightly less than $750 million in 2004, with the United States running a deficit about $88 million.