US trade delegation reportedly inbound after AmCham wraps 40th Doorknock in Washington, DC: AmCham wrapped up its fortieth annual Doorknock mission to Washington, DC, last week on what its leadership called a “high note,” with plans for a 50-company US trade delegation to make a return visit to Cairo in October.

“Everyone here commended the economic reform program and recognized the effort that was needed to make such difficult and bold decisions,” AmCham President Tarek Tawfik told reporters in Washington as the week came to an end. “There’s also a lot of appreciation to the military’s undertakings in the Sinai to combat terrorism and make the country more stable and secure.”

The delegation met with a ‘Who’s Who” of Washington, holding a total of 89 meetings between March 12 and 16, including 53 meetings meetings on the Hill: 33 of them with members of Congress, 15 with staffers, four with staff leadership, and one with the congressional research center. The group also held nine meetings with members of the executive branch, five meetings with international financial institutions, 16 with think tanks, and two meetings with influential figures, including the New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman.

Egypt’s (former?) ties to North Korea are among a basket of “thorny issues” that Tawfik says the two sides are working to address. “I don’t think North Korea will be as pressing an issue,” he suggests. We also need to better communicate our economic and other achievements in Washington and in Europe, Tawfik added, as the focus on the human rights and freedoms file remains very real.

Our warming ties with Israel are improving Cairo’s image in DC, with a USD 15 bn agreement to import natural gas from Israel and position Egypt as an energy export hub being key.

AmCham continues to push for a freetrade agreement with the US and the delegation made the point in Washington that Europe is pushing for a deeper, more comprehensive agreement that risks leaving US companies at a disadvantage. “We’re pushing on that front, and given Trump’s trade policy is not multilateral but bilateral … an FTA wasn’t on the agenda last year, but people are listening now.” You can catch the rest of our coverage of the AmCham wrap up here.