USTR Portman announces US-Saudi negotiations concluded

Trade Representative Portman today announced the United States and Saudi Arabia have concluded bilateral negotiations on issues related to Saudi Arabia's accession to the World Trade Organization. The agreement provides new market access opportunities for U.S. firms, according to a USTR statement.

To complete its WTO bid, Saudi Arabia must finish required multilateral negotiations. "This represents progress for Saudi Arabia, the United States and the WTO," Portman said in a statement. "As a result of negotiations on its accession to the WTO, we will see greater openness, further development of the rule of law, and political and economic reform in Saudi Arabia."

Saudi Arabia confirmed it will not invoke the non-application provision of the WTO Agreement and will therefore have relations with all WTO members, according to USTR. Saudi Arabia has also said it will not apply the secondary and tertiary aspects of the Arab boycott of Israel, which are aspects of the boycott that directly affect U.S. businesses, said a U.S. trade official.

The secondary boycott denies Arab business to firms that materially contribute to Israel's economic and technological development. The tertiary boycott involves a denial of trade with firms that have business ties with companies that are subject to the secondary boycott, the official said.