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New Coordinating Body in Economic T

New Coordinating Body in Economic Trade with the USA
In the middle of last December, the Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade issued decision No. 960 of 2012 (the “Decision”) establishing a Coordination Secretariat for Economic and Trade Cooperation between Egypt and the United States of America (“Coordination Secretariat”).[1] The Coordination Secretariat is chaired by the head of commercial representation at the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade and includes fourteen members from the Ministries of Industry and Foreign Trade, Agriculture, Investment, Tour- ism, Communications, the Federation of Industries and the Chamber of Commerce.
Is This the Start of Free Trade Negotiations?
But whereas the composition of the Secretariat does not seem initially to add much beyond forming yet another committee, this particular Decision is significant because it includes among the powers of the Secretariat “… studying the conclusion of a free trade agreement with the USA …” which is an important and highly sensitive subject and could be reopening a file that had been closed for some years now. Otherwise the Decision has no additional value.   [1] Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade’s Decision No. 960/2012 establishing a Coordination Secretariat for Economic and Trade Cooperation between Egypt and the United States of America, Egyptian Gazette, Issue No. 280, 11 December 2012.  
In the middle of last December, the Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade issued decision No. 960 of 2012 (the “Decision”) establishing a Coordination Secretariat for Economic and Trade Cooperation between Egypt and the United States of America (“Coordination Secretariat”).[1] The Coordination Secretariat is chaired by the head of commercial representation at the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade and includes fourteen members from the Ministries of Industry and Foreign Trade, Agriculture, Investment, Tour- ism, Communications, the Federation of Industries and the Chamber of Commerce.
Is This the Start of Free Trade Negotiations?
But whereas the composition of the Secretariat does not seem initially to add much beyond forming yet another committee, this particular Decision is significant because it includes among the powers of the Secretariat “… studying the conclusion of a free trade agreement with the USA …” which is an important and highly sensitive subject and could be reopening a file that had been closed for some years now. Otherwise the Decision has no additional value.   [1] Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade’s Decision No. 960/2012 establishing a Coordination Secretariat for Economic and Trade Cooperation between Egypt and the United States of America, Egyptian Gazette, Issue No. 280, 11 December 2012.