AmCham Oman launches U.S.–Oman Free Trade Agreement Guide
As part of the celebration surrounding the 15th anniversary of the U.S.–Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA), AmCham Oman launched a 24-page FTA Guide. This is the most comprehensive guide ever published on the use of the U.S.–Oman FTA, created to support companies seeking to maximize opportunities through access to data, success stories, and practical insights.
Key contributors include Jason Buntin of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, who provided essential trade statistics. The guide also drew inspiration from the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Bahrain’s Economic Diversification and Access to Finance project, which is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). AmCham Jordan’s work on the U.S. Embassy-sponsored Spotlight on the U.S.–Oman FTA program also helped lay a foundation for the full guide.
Launched in December 2024 to mark the 15th anniversary of the U.S.–Oman FTA, this guide will be updated regularly to ensure its relevance and impact for businesses in Oman and the United States. We encourage members and friends to share it widely. It’s free to download!
The U.S.–Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on January 1, 2009.
The FTA allows U.S. investors to wholly own their companies without requiring a local sponsor, although many choose to partner with Omani companies to draw on local expertise and facilitate business.
This agreement is an important tool for fostering continued economic engagement and opening opportunities for ports, businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and service providers.
Under the market access provisions of the FTA, the United States and Oman gave each other immediate duty-free access for tariff lines covering almost all consumer and industrial goods and 87% of all agricultural tariff lines. Both countries agreed to phase out all tariffs on the remaining eligible goods within 10 years, by January 1, 2019.
The FTA contains trade facilitation measures designed to expedite the movement of goods and the provision of services between Oman and the United States; investment provisions intended to strengthen protections for U.S. investors operating in Oman; and provisions on safeguards, intellectual property rights, government procurement, labor, the environment, and dispute settlement to improve the regulatory climate for bilateral trade and investment.
Useful Links and Resources:
U.S. Embassy in Oman FTA Resource Page
FAQs about the FTA
FTA Best Practices
U.S. Trade Resources for Importers and Exporters
Embassy of Oman in Washington, D.C.
Country Commercial Guide
Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Up-to-date information on trade between the U.S. and Oman
Invest Easy Portal (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion)
Free Trade Agreement Help Center
Recommended Attorneys in Oman:
CMS
Jamal Al Amri Advocates and Legal Consultants
Dentons & Co – Oman Branch
Addleshaw Goddard Oman
Kennedys Law Oman
Trowers & Hamlins
Said Al Shahri & Partners
ALC Lawyers & Counsels
Bait Al Qanoon
Al Tamimi & Company
Global Advocacy & Legal Counsel
Recommended Consultants and Company Registration Experts:
Bondoni ME
Success Stories of the FTA: Watch Interviews