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On the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit
 
H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce meets with US counterpart and a number of US officials
 
H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, met on Friday, June 22, 2018, with HE Mr. Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce, and Mr Thom Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Vice President Mr. Khush Choksy. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit that was held on June 20-22, 2018 in Washington, DC.
Discussions touched on the promotion of bilateral relations between Qatar and the US on the economic and commercial levels as well as the opportunities to bolster bilateral trade in light of the economic potential and resources of both countries.
 
Discussions also touched on the latest developments in terms of the bilateral economic, commercial and investment relations and measures to bolster these ties.
 
The meetings touched on the positive outcomes of the first phase of  Qatar’s Economic Roadshow across US, which took place last April,  as well as preparations for the second stage of the roadshow.
 
H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce shed light on the measures taken by Qatar to encourage and attract investments, including a draft law recently approved by the Cabinet to regulate the investment of the non-Qatari capital in economic activity, which allows foreign investors 100% ownership across all sectors and facilitates the access of investors into the Qatari market.
 
The two sides stressed the importance of exchanging visits between Qatari and US businessmen and encouraging cooperation between government agencies and the private sector to the benefit of both countries.
H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, also met with Mr. Matt Bevin, Governor of Kentucky.
 
Discussions touched on the promotion of bilateral relations between Qatar and the US on the economic and commercial levels as well as the opportunities to bolster bilateral trade in light of the economic potential and resources of both countries.
 
Qatar and the US enjoy close economic and trade relations, which have reflected positively on the volume of bilateral trade, which reached about QR 21 billion in 2017. The US is Qatar’s first trading partner and primary source of imports, with 16.3% of Qatar’s imports coming from the US.
 
More than 650 American companies currently operate in Qatar, of which 117 are fully owned U.S companies in addition to 20 oil and gas companies and over 30 American companies licensed under the QFC umbrella.
 
The SelectUSA Investment Summit is a leading event aimed at promoting foreign direct investments in the US with the participation of senior government officials, CEOs, private sector representatives and entrepreneurs. Every edition of the summit focuses on a specific theme related to the US investment environment, overall industry trends and new opportunities. This year’s edition will feature a number of key topics, including promoting global economic prosperity, investments in energy, innovation and technology, workforce development and rebuilding the US infrastructure.
 
SelectUSA Investment Summit brought together more 3,200 participants, representing 64 international markets and 51 US states, with the participation of the US Secretaries of Commerce, Treasury and Labor, as well as a number of governors and the US Chamber of Commerce officials.