In October 2005, the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt signed an agreement to launch the USAID-backed Trade-Related Assistance Center (TRAC), a trade resource for both local and international businesses that will work to ensure that the private sector’s interests and potential gains are maximized in free trade agreements (FTAs), especially the proposed Egypt-US FTA.

Through its four components, TRAC will:

• Establish a working channel between the private sector and the government and convey private sector standpoints and concerns to policymakers to be taken into consideration at the negotiating table. (Ad Hoc and Awareness component)
• Establish a user-friendly document repository, which provides the business community access to reliable trade information (FTA Help Desk component)
• Work on enhancing Egypt’s competitiveness, through institutional and trade capacity building and upgrading human resources in relation to the key areas of foreign trade. (Training component)
• Launch an FTA web portal that provides information on trade agreements, trade regulations and the impact of an FTA on various sectors of the economy (IT component)

Through the TRAC project, AmCham is able to better facilitate business ties with potential US customers, advocate trade and business positions and enhance the ability of firms and industries to capitalize on available business opportunities.

With the Egypt-US FTA effectively on hold, TRAC will address issues related to the World Trade Organization, as WTO agreements constitute the basis of any free trade agreement, be it bilateral or regional. The private sector needs to be rightly acquainted with the various WTO Agreements (Services, TRIPs, DSU, Anti-dumping and CVD, SPS, TBT, NAMA, etc.) in order to negotiate with the government from an informed position. It is also on that basis that the private sector will justify and be able to argue beyond WTO liberalization commitments (WTO plus).

TRAC Website