The United States will accelerate economic cooperation and other programs to help Egypt in its time of financial and economic difficulty, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday, November 29, following a meeting at the State Department with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. The American official was responding to the words of President Husni Mubarak, who said earlier that boosting exports is a matter of "life and death" for the Egypt's economy, AFP reported.
Egyptian exports to the western United States increased by 33 percent in the first nine months of 2001, from $102.4 million in 2000 to $137.3 million, recorded the United States Commerce Department. Imports from the western US region into Egypt increased by one percent from $445 million to $452 million during the same period.
Egypt imports computers, software, electronic equipment, medical equipment and medications from the US, confirmed Egyptian Head of Trade Representation Saeed Qassem. Egyptian exports include ready-made clothes, yarn and textiles, furniture, antiques, hand-made carpets, handcrafts, perfumeries, frozen vegetables, ceramics and granite. — (menareport.com)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
