H.E Mr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Industry, held separate meetings with H.E. Mr. Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce, H.E. Mr. Tom Donohue, CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Khush Choksy, Senior Vice President for Middle East and Turkey Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The meetings were held on the sidelines of the third Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, which took place in Washington on September 14-15.

H.E. Mr. Al Kuwari also met with H.E. Mrs. Anne Patterson, President of the US-Qatar Business Council, and Mr. Mohamed Barakat, the council’s Executive Director. Discussions centred upon efforts to bolster the contribution of the council to the advancement of shared interests and mechanisms for the development of communication channels between Qatari and American companies, and business events in both countries.

Discussions touched on the promotion of bilateral relations and the development of joint cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade, investment and industry.

Other subjects on the agenda included the development of bilateral trade policies, the implications of the Covid-19 virus pandemic on economic and trade dynamics in both countries, and the efforts undertaken by both sides to confront the economic repercussions of the crisis.

H.E. the Minister elaborated on the economic policies adopted by Qatar, particularly the removal of restrictions on foreign investments, thereby providing companies with the opportunity to set up shop and invest in Qatar.

Discussions also included the promotion of coordinated mechanisms to bolster bilateral trade, and enhance cooperation in priority sectors that would serve the developmental aspirations of both countries.

Qatar and the US exchanged over $ 9.43 billion in goods in 2019, with the US ranking as the leading source of Qatari imports.