VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0245/01 0561157
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251157Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0417
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS CAIRO 000245 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR NEA/ELA 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR/SFRANCESKI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD EG EAID EAGR EINV
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON U.S.-EGYPT STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DIALOGUE 
 
REF: 10CAIRO68; 09CAIRO2172 
 
¶1. (SBU) Key points: 
 
-The U.S.-Egypt Strategic Economic Dialogue was launched in 2009, 
and the USG will have to overcome weak GOE inter-ministerial 
cooperation to move forward on the dialogue's goals in 2010. 
 
-The key U.S. objectives in its economic relationship with Egypt 
are deepening bilateral trade and investment, helping Egypt to 
improve its domestic and international commerce, increasing U.S. 
exports to Egypt, supporting the Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) 
program, and helping Egypt to improve its IPR climate and reduce 
non-tariff trade barriers, particularly in agricultural products. 
 
-The U.S. interagency strategy to meet its objectives includes 
gathering key GOE stakeholders, offering technical assistance where 
appropriate, and leveraging visits by high-level USG officials and 
by working-level officials from the US and the region to move the 
process forward. 
 
Overview of Strategic Economic Partnership 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The dialogue with the GOE is built upon the Plan for a 
Strategic Economic Partnership on Trade-Related and Investment 
Issues signed by United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk 
and Egypt's Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI) Rachid M. Rachid 
in Washington in May 2009. In November 2009, U.S. and Egyptian 
private companies agreed upon the creation of a Business Leaders' 
Forum endorsed by Min. Rachid and Commerce Secretary Locke, and 
Min. Rachid and USTR Kirk finalized a work plan for a Joint Forum 
on Trade and Investment. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Since finalizing the work plan, progress has been slow, 
largely because of the weak inter-ministerial cooperation on the 
part of the GOE. For this reason, the USG will have to take the 
lead in moving forward to advance our key objectives in our 
bilateral economic relationship with Egypt, which are as follows: 
 
 
 
Deepening the Bilateral Trade and Investment Relationship 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) In our engagement with Egypt in a strategic economic 
dialogue, we seek to deepen bilateral trade and investment. Amidst 
the economic crisis in 2009, U.S.-Egypt bilateral trade fell to 
$7.3 billion, a decrease from $8.4 billion in 2008. There have, 
however, been a few strategic commercial successes, including the 
recent $650 million Boeing contract for the purchase of eight 737 
aircraft and the $50 million Hill International contract to manage 
the construction of the new Egyptian Grand Museum. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) We seek to expand our exports to Egypt, and to work with 
Egypt where appropriate to help it achieve its own ambitious goals 
of doubling exports and improving domestic commerce in the coming 
years. We also hope to achieve expanded trade in services, 
including promoting the development of Egypt's logistics and 
distribution, while liberalizing trade in U.S. services, including 
franchising.  We are also looking to improve labor and 
environmental standards in Egypt. 
 
 
 
Improving IPR 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Building on recent successes in improving the intellectual 
property rights (IPR) climate in Egypt, it is important that we 
identify and address remaining areas of concern. Egypt remains on 
the Special 301 Watch List as much remains to be done to improve 
copyright protection for US music, film and books in Egypt. 
Copyright is an area of mutual interest as Egypt - historically a 
center of culture in the Middle East -- has experienced economic 
losses due to IPR infringement. We should focus on building on this 
mutual interest, and be sure to acknowledge the fact that the GOE 
has been working with IPR stakeholders in copyright and publishing, 
 
and we should encourage the GOE to do more. 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) We will continue to work with  Egypt on PTO and USAID 
training and capacity-building programs. These include economic 
court judges training, assistance in finalizing a new Border 
Measures Law, and best practices workshops and visits with 
enforcement officials to improve Egypt's border measures against 
counterfeit goods, its patent and trademark implementation, its 
pharmaceutical registry, and its enforcement of laws against 
pirated books, music, and film. 
 
 
 
Increasing Agricultural Trade 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Another major goal is increasing U.S. agricultural 
exports, by seeking Egypt's cooperation in liberalizing imports of 
beef products, seed potatoes and poultry parts. The US is also 
seeking Egypt's cooperation in ending 100% inspection and testing 
of agricultural containerized shipments. Finally, the US is 
encouraging Egypt to pass a new bio-safety law that takes a 
science-based approach to agricultural bio-technology. 
 
 
 
QIZ 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) During AUSTR Gail Strickler's December 2009 visit to 
Cairo, she energized both MOTI and the private sector when she 
reiterated our commitment to the QIZ program and raised the 
possibility of including additional areas and factories.  Post 
would like to aggressively move beyond the current impasse over 
fairly modest technical issues (ref. A) to embrace the original 
goals of the QIZ program: Strengthening the Egyptian-Israeli 
political relationship through closer economic ties and promoting 
stability within Egypt through the creation of jobs and economic 
opportunity. To this end, we would like to explore ways to quickly 
work with the GOE to improve this valuable preference program, 
while ensuring that proper oversight of the program continues. 
 
 
 
USG Strategy 
 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) With an interagency process led by USTR and including 
USAID and the Departments of State, Commerce, and Agriculture, we 
will work with  MOTI to help overcome the GOE's weak 
inter-ministerial cooperation by bring key GOE stakeholders 
together to move forward on our main objectives. Where necessary, 
we will also offer technical assistance to Egypt through existing 
USAID, Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and other USG programs to 
support specific goals. 
 
 
 
¶11. (SBU) We understand that USTR Kirk is planning a visit to Cairo 
in March for meetings. We recommend that USTR Kirk use the visit to 
advance the goals outlined above in high-level meetings with the 
GOE. Following his trip, we suggest that USTR build on the momentum 
gained in our economic dialogue to send working-level experts and 
tap into existing USG in-country officials to make progress on our 
key objectives with inter-ministerial GOE decision-makers. 
SCOBEY