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Investment Climate

Right to Private Ownership and Establishment

The right to private ownership is respected in Lebanon. Foreign private entities can establish, acquire, and dispose of interests in business enterprises and can engage in all kinds of remunerative activities.

Protection of Property Rights

The concept of a mortgage exists, and secured interests in property, both movable and real, are recognized and enforced. Such security interests must be recorded in the Commercial Register and the Real Estate Register. Lebanon has a Real Estate Law that governs acquisition and disposition of all property rights by Lebanese nationals; Law No. 296, dated April 3, 2001, governs real estate acquisition by non-Lebanese.

Lebanon has legislation to provide adequate intellectual property right protection. However, enforcement is weak. Lebanon has been on the United States Trade Representative’s Priority Watch List for a number of years. Lebanon is under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) review for inadequate enforcement of copyright laws. The High Tech and Intellectual Property Crime Unit, established at the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in 2006 to boost IPR enforcement, has seen some progress. During 2007, the Lebanese Government continued to raid shops and warehouses that were storing or displaying pirated content. However, rampant cable television piracy continues, and the Government has not taken concrete measures to tackle it. Well over 90 percent of Lebanon’s cable subscribers view pirated content, one of the highest rates in the world. The U.S. Motion Picture Industry estimated annual losses to the U.S. motion picture industry due to audio-visual piracy in Lebanon at $35.5 million in 2006. This covers theatrical ($1.8 million), cable ($31.8 million), and DVDs ($1.86 million) markets. Meanwhile, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) estimated losses to U.S. music and business software industries due to piracy at $25.6 million in 2006. Retail piracy of pre-recorded optical discs is widespread. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) indicated that computer software piracy remained unchanged at 73 percent in 2005 and 2006. The BSA ranked Lebanon 35th worst worldwide and third worst in the Middle East and North Africa region in terms of piracy in 2006. Unauthorized copies of internationally patented pharmaceuticals continue to be approved by the Ministry of Health. The judicial system is not very effective in deterring IPR crimes.

Existing intellectual property right laws cover copyright, patent, trademarks, and geographical elements.

  • Lebanon's 1999 Copyright Law largely complies with WTO regulations and needs minor amendments to become fully compatible. The new law allows educational institutions and students to copy legitimately acquired software for non-commercial use. Registration of copyrights in Lebanon is not mandatory. Copyright protection is granted without the need for any registration.
  • A modern and TRIPS-compatible Patent Law, approved in 2000, provides general protection for semiconductor chip layout designs, plant varieties, and trade secrets, but no adequate coverage for trade secrets. The Lebanese legal regime does not require examination, prior to registration, of patents for novelty, utility, and innovation. Simple patent deposit is required at the Ministry of Economy and Trade. The application is examined only for conformity with general laws and ethics.
  • The Council of Ministers approved the drafts for a new Industrial Designs and Trademark Law in October 2007 and Geographical Indications in May 2007. These now await Parliamentary ratification. The 1924 Law on Industrial Property does not require examination of trademarks, but calls for simple deposit. However, examination of trademarks prior to registration became the norm starting in 2001. Registration of industrial trademarks takes about one week.
  • Lebanon signed the Singapore Treaty on Trademark in December 2006.
  • Lebanon has not signed any WIPO internet treaties.
  • Lebanon signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the United States in December 2006. (See Section B)
  • Lebanon is aggressively pursuing WTO accession. A USAID-funded technical assistance project with consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Booz Allen Hamilton worked from May 2000 to December 2007 with the GOL to revise, update and draft appropriate laws to ensure early accession.

Transparency of Regulatory System

Private sector companies should be wary when bidding for public projects. Transparency, clear regulations and fair consideration of bids have never been the rule in Lebanon. There is no one specific law regulating all aspects of government procurement in Lebanon. Government administrations often award contracts by mutual agreement, without calling for a tender. The government does not always establish "clear rules of the game."

Lebanon does not have a streamlined regulatory system for business entry, operation and exit. However, the process does not discriminate against foreign investors.

Red tape plagues bureaucratic procedures. International companies are faced with an unpredictable, opaque operating environment, and often encounter unanticipated obstacles or costs late in the process. According to the IFC Doing Business 2008 report, entrepreneurs can expect to go through six steps over 46 days to start a business in Lebanon. Enforcing commercial contracts takes 37 procedures and 721 days. Furthermore, enforcing a contract in Lebanon costs 30.8 percent of the claim. The report may be accessed at www.doingbusiness.org.

The government does not publish proposed laws and regulations in draft for public comment. However, the practice in Lebanon is to form drafting committees both from the public and private sector incorporating representatives of all stakeholders when preparing legislation. In general, legal, regulatory and accounting systems are consistent with international norms.

USAID has been providing Transparency and Accountability Grants (TAG) for the past seven years, in an effort to strengthen anti-corruption efforts in all sectors, all over Lebanon. The program has drawn civil society organizations from all regions of the country creating innovative programs focusing on increasing transparency, accountability, and good governance. The post-July 2006 war period witnessed new challenges for Lebanon with security and political crises causing delays for all programming. Despite the myriad challenges, TAG was successful in launching 16 new programs while continuing to support program activities of other grants made the previous year that were still ongoing. New projects focused on such key issues as women's advocacy, accountability in the nursing profession, legislative reform and government plans and policies, legal and judicial ethics, intellectual property rights, post-war economic policy, legal rights, a youth environment parliament, capacity building of promising new NGOs, enhancing the capabilities of the new Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, and supporting the Prime Minister's efforts to publicly list all revenues and expenditures linked to post-war reconstruction. Moreover, a political participation initiative mobilized youth nationwide to address environmental issues. TAG has reached tens of thousands beneficiaries. For example, one public awareness campaign with advertisements on all local TV stations reached at least tens of thousands of TV viewers. A project on judicial and legal ethics has outreach components to 10,000 lawyers and judges, and 50,000 citizens.

Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment

Lebanon places no restrictions on the movement of capital in or out of the country, whether for investment or other purposes. The Government permits the free exchange of currencies, precious metals, and monetary instruments, both domestically and internationally. According to the UN report "Sending Money Home: Worldwide Remittances to Developing Countries,” the inflow of expatriate remittances into Lebanon for 2006 reached $5.72 billion, the second largest in the MENA region. As a percentage of GDP, remittances were estimated at 25.2 percent, the highest in the MENA region.

Credit is allocated on market terms, and foreign investors can get credit facilities on the local market. The private sector has access to overdrafts and discounted treasury bills, in addition to a variety of credit instruments, such as housing, consumer, or personal loans, and loans to small and medium enterprises. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Investment bank (EIB) have been separately extending financial facilities through the Lebanese banking sector to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In 2007, the EIB and the French Development Agency (French counterpart of USAID) have separately extended loans to the Lebanese banking sector to help the private sector recover from the impact of the July 2006 war. In late 2006, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) extended $108 million in credit line guarantees through Citibank to selected Lebanese banks for private sector lending.

In 2006, the MOET launched an EU-financed project to upgrade the quality of local manufacturing to match international standards as well as build the capacity of manufacturers and producers. The Ministry also launched incubators for SMEs in four regions in Lebanon (North, South, Biqa', and Mount Lebanon) through an EU-financed project.

The Beirut Stock Exchange (BSE) quotes six commercial banks, four investment funds, 16 sovereign Eurobond issues (13 in dollars, two in Euro, and one in Lebanese Pounds), and five companies, including “SOLIDERE,” one of the largest publicly held companies in the region. Trading is a combination of auction and continuous trading. Legislation allows the listing of tradable stocks or papers on the BSE. Lebanon is now the headquarters of the Arab Stock Exchange Union.

The regulatory system is transparent and consistent with international norms. Banks conform to Bank for International Settlement (BIS) standards. Lebanon has legislation regulating issuance of and trading in bank equities. Parliament passed Law No.308, dated April 3, 2001, on unification of bank shares whereby banks may increase their capitalization and shareholder base as well as optimize trading of bank shares on the BSE. New laws governing the operation of the stock market, such as the formation of a Financial Market Authority to oversee Lebanon’s stock market operations, await Parliament’s approval. Parliament ratified in November 2005 a new law on asset securitization. There are no restrictions on portfolio investment; foreign investors can invest in Lebanese equity and fixed income paper.

The banking system is sound and enjoys a high capital adequacy ratio of about 22 percent, almost triple the ratio set by Basel I (eight percent). The CBL and the Banking Control Commission (BCC) have set up a committee to prepare the banking sector to comply with the three pillars of Basel II recommendations. As of January 1, 2008, the Lebanese banking sector complied with Pillar I of Basel II (new capital adequacy ratio). The CBL and the BCC are currently issuing new circulars for banks to comply with Pillar II and III of Basel II in 2008. The Association of Lebanese Banks has separately set up a committee to follow-up on this issue.

The Lebanese banking sector, encouraged by the CBL, continues to consolidate. Over 25 bank mergers have taken place in the past decade, and additional mergers are anticipated after Parliament approved a revised Bank Mergers’ Law. International firms established in Lebanon, such as Standard Chartered Bank, BNP/Paribas, HSBC, Citibank and Merrill Lynch, remain active. Many sectors are dominated by traditional businesses in the hands of commercially powerful families. The Government is trying to improve the transparency of such firms in order to help solidify an emerging capital market for company shares.

The total assets of Lebanon's five largest commercial banks reached about $8.3 billion in 2006, or 54.9 percent of total banking assets. At the end of 2006, about 18.5 percent of total loans were estimated as non-performing, compared to 20.8 percent at the end of 2005. By the end of September 2007, the total assets of Lebanon’s five largest commercial banks reached about $56.8 billion, or roughly 59 percent of total banking assets. Banks continue to maintain more than two-thirds provisions against non-performing loans, while the remaining provision is covered by adequate collateral.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recognized in its October 2003 Plenary Lebanon’s sustained efforts to implement its anti-money laundering regime and decided to end formal monitoring of Lebanon. In July 2003, Lebanon joined the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units; this group works on international cooperation in the fight against money laundering. On November 30, 2004, Lebanon, represented by the Secretary of the Special Investigation Commission (SIC) fighting money laundering and terrorism finance, was elected to head the newly established Middle East and North Africa (MENA) FATF -- a FATF-styled regional body that promotes best practices to combat money laundering and terrorism financing in the MENA region -- for the first year. In March 2006, Lebanon's SIC Secretary was elected to chair the US-MENA Private Sector Dialogue initiative.

Political Violence

Lebanon's location between two major regional states, Israel and Syria, directly affects the country's political and security environment. The 2006 war erupted on July 12, when Hizballah mounted a cross-border raid that killed and kidnapped Israeli soldiers. It ended with an UN-sponsored cessation of hostilities on August 14, 2006. Despite the cessation of hostilities and the deployment of Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops in the south, armed Lebanese groups, particularly the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hizballah, retained significant influence over parts of the country. Palestinian groups hostile to both the Lebanese government and the U.S. operate largely autonomously inside refugee camps in different areas of the country. Although Syrian forces withdrew from Lebanon in 2005 after 30 years of occupation, Syria still exerts influence over Lebanon's economy as a major trading partner, a gateway for Lebanon's trade with the Gulf states, and through networks of pro-Syrian Lebanese nationals.

From May 20 to September 2, 2007, a conflict involving the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and militant Islamic fundamentalist group Fatah al-Islam (FAI) took place in Nahr el-Barid, a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country. The Lebanese Army took control of the camp. The death toll was 167 LAF soldiers and an estimated 42 civilians.

As a result of the May-September Nahr el-Barid conflict, an estimated 35,000 Palestinian refugees were displaced. The majority sought shelter with host families in the neighboring Beddawi camp in northern Lebanon, while several hundred families sought shelter in UNRWA as well as government-run schools throughout the north of the country. In October refugees began returning to the "new camp" along the periphery of Nahr el-Barid. At year's end, UNRWA estimated that approximately 6,000 refugees returned to the new camp.

In 2007, the campaign of domestic political violence continued. Most notable were the assassinations of MP Walid Eido on June 13, MP Antoine Ghanem on September 19, and LAF Chief of Operations Brigadier General Francois Hajj on December 12. UNIFIL was the target of a terrorist attack on June 24, when six members of the Spanish battalion of UNIFIL were killed in an explosion along the Khiam road in South Lebanon. On July 16, a vehicle belonging to the Tanzanian contingent was damaged in a bomb blast in southern Lebanon, but there were no casualties. On January 8, 2008, UNIFIL was attacked again, with a roadside bomb in Rmeileh, Sidon that injured two Irish officers. Since the 2004 assassination attempt against Telecom Minister Marwan Hamadeh, there have been 13 politically-motivated attempts or assassinations against Lebanese officials or other key figures, including that of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Attacks have targeted Lebanese journalists and politicians critical of Syrian interference in Lebanon, including attempts against Telecom Minister Hamadeh, Defense Minister Elias Murr, and journalist May Chidiac, and the assassinations of Industry Minister and MP Pierre Gemayel, MP Gebran Tueni, and journalist Samir Kassir. All of these attacks still remain unsolved, but the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) is investigating the Hariri assassination and others, in cooperation with the Lebanese government.

The political deadlock that began with the November 2006 resignation of the five Hizballah and Amal movement Shia Ministers as well as a Greek-Orthodox Minister, continued during the year. Former President Emile Lahoud left office on November 23, 2007, but Parliament so far has failed to elect a new president. Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the session to elect a new president 11 times and Lebanon has been without a president since November 24, 2007.

On January 23, 2007, opposition protestors paralyzed Lebanon by burning tires and cars on major streets in various areas, enforcing a general strike called for by the opposition. On January 25, 2007, Sunni and Shia students clashed violently at the Beirut Arab University, which escalated into civil unrest in parts of Beirut. As a result, the LAF declared a one day curfew. The opposition's sit-in in downtown Beirut continued during 2007.

On January 15, 2008, an embassy vehicle was the subject of a terrorist attack. On January 25, 2008 ISF Captain Wissam Eid was assassinated in a car bomb. Continuing political violence could have serious consequences for Lebanon's economic stability and growth.

Corruption

There is rampant corruption when dealing with the public sector. According to Transparency International (TI), perceived corruption in Lebanon worsened in 2007, after a slight improvement in 2006. Lebanon's score fell from 3.6 to three out of 10 in TI’s Annual Corruption Perception Index, and its ranking fell from 63 out of 163 to 99 out of 180 countries surveyed.

The International Financial Corporation (IFC) and the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on October 11, 2007, to establish the Institute of Corporate Governance in Lebanon. The IFC will provide a $250,000 grant for the Institute, which will provide training courses on corporate governance, offer consultancy services, carry out research and educational activities, and organize awareness-raising private sector events in Lebanese and MENA region.

Lebanon has laws and regulations to combat corruption, but historically these are not always enforced. Lebanon is finalizing the legal procedure to adhere to the UN Anticorruption Convention. Lebanon is not a signatory to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery. According to Lebanese law, it is a criminal act to give or accept a bribe. The penalty is imprisonment for up to three years, with hard labor in some cases, plus a fine equal to at least three times the value of the bribe. Bribing a government official is also a criminal act. The Central Inspection Directorate is responsible for combating corruption in the public sector, while the public prosecutor is responsible for combating corruption in the private sector.

Corruption is more pervasive in government contracts (primarily in procurement and public works), taxation, and real estate registration, than in private sector deals. It is widely believed that investors routinely pay bribes to win government contracts, which are often awarded to companies close to powerful politicians.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) launched a 24/7 call center on December 4, along with an electronic tax declaration system, and a service whereby citizens can handle issues dealing with property tax through the Lebanese postal service, Libanpost. These services are expected to decrease corruption.

Bilateral Investment Agreements

The U.S. has neither a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with Lebanon, nor an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation. Lebanon has expressed an interest in signing both. Discussions of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) reached a preliminary stage in 2001 and have been pending since then. Several politicians have publicly expressed caution regarding a Middle East Free Trade Area.

On December 1 2006, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Ministry of Economy and Trade signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). Apart from pledging to foster an environment conducive to mutual trade and investment, the TIFA requires the two parties (represented by USTR and the Ministry, respectively) to set up a United States-Lebanon Council on Trade and Investment which will meet twice a year or more to consult on trade and investment impediments and any other issues of concern. The Council will seek and consider the views of private sector representatives in both countries. Finally, under the TIFA, the United States and Lebanon agreed to a consultation mechanism that may be activated by either party within 60 days in the event of a dispute or other development affecting trade relations.

At the signing ceremony for the TIFA, the Economy Minister expressed interest in signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S. Government. However, there has been no work toward such an agreement as of this time.

Lebanon has signed bilateral investment agreements with the following countries (in alphabetical order): Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium/Luxemburg, Benin, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the U.A.E., the U.K., and Yemen.

Lebanon has signed bilateral tax conventions with over 30 countries, but not with the United States.

Lebanon signed the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership agreement in 2002, and the interim agreement entered into force in March 2003. The final agreement came into force in April 2006. In 2004, Lebanon and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a free trade agreement. Lebanon and Syria have four bilateral cooperation agreements in the fields of economics, transport, agriculture, and health. Lebanon has also signed the Arab Free Trade Zone Agreement, as well as bilateral Free Trade Agreements with Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and the UAE.

OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs

On February 10, 1981, Lebanon and the U.S. signed an OPIC agreement in Beirut, but no investment using OPIC insurance coverage was undertaken until 1996. OPIC is currently engaged with Lebanon in three areas: insurance, financing, and investment. OPIC is preparing to work with Citibank for the second consecutive year on a program that will offer loans to SMEs through selected Lebanese commercial banks; this program was first operational in January 2007, with OPIC providing $120 million in credit line guarantees. OPIC is also finalizing an agreement to begin financing the EURO MENA II Fund, a fund of $200-300 million based in Beirut, with a foreign fund management firm.

The Lebanese government’s National Investments Guarantee Corporation (NIGC), which was established in 1977, continues to insure new investments against political risks, riots, losses due to non-convertibility of currencies, and transfer of profits. Other major trade/investment insurance programs operating in Lebanon include COFACE (France), ECGD (UK), HERMES (Germany), SACE (Italian), and IAIGC (Arab Consortium). Lebanon has joined the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank.

The U.S. dollar value of the local currency has been trading at about Lebanese Pound (Lira, or LL) 1,500 to the dollar for the last 12 years. The Government of Lebanon has repeatedly expressed its commitment to maintaining a stable Lebanese Pound. With foreign assets of about $12.4 billion as of the end of December 2007, the CBL has the ability to maintain a stable USD/LL rate. One reason the pressure on the local currency can be contained is that 77 percent of customers' deposits in the banking sector are in foreign currencies.

Labor

The 1964 Labor Law provides for written and oral contracts and specifies a maximum workweek of 48 hours (with several exceptions, notably in agriculture and the food service industries). The law provides for the right of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively. Lebanon is a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention.

There are no thorough or reliable statistics on population, the Lebanese labor force, and unemployment. Lebanon’s working population totals 1.1 million, including foreign residents, but excluding the seasonal work force, according to the Central Administration of Statistics’ (CAS) 2004 National Survey of Household Living Conditions. CAS estimates Lebanon's population in 2004 at 3.75 million, excluding Palestinians in the camps and seasonal workers. According to a 2004 St. Joseph University study, the unemployment rate is close to nine percent, while CAS estimated unemployment at eight percent in its 2004 Household Living Conditions survey. The CAS Survey showed that unemployment reached 27 percent for the age group 15-19 years and 17.3 percent for the age group 20-24 years. The unemployment rate is somewhat attenuated because about one-third of the total workforce works outside Lebanon, mainly in Arab countries and the Gulf, according to prominent consultants.

Local unskilled labor is in short supply. Arab (mainly Syrian and some Palestinian refugees), Asian, Indian, and African laborers are hired to work in construction, agriculture, industry, and households.

Lebanon has a General Confederation of Labor (GCL), recognized by the government, whose membership is limited exclusively to Lebanese workers. The GCL’s activities are mainly limited to demanding cost-of-living increases and other social benefits. The government/labor relationship has improved compared to previous years, yet it remains difficult. Given its own political problems, the GCL has been ineffective in protesting a steady increase in consumer prices. Worker-employer relations have also been problematic, and strikes take place frequently to protest layoffs.

Foreign-Trade Zones/Free Ports

Foreign-owned firms have the same investment opportunities as Lebanese firms. Lebanon has two free zones in operation, the Beirut port and the Tripoli port. The reconstruction of a 120,000 square meter free zone at the Port of Beirut is complete, and a 6,000-square meter bonded warehouse facility is now available. The new Customs Law (WTO compatible) issued by Decree No. 4461, dated December 15, 2000, fosters the development of free zones (Chapter III, Articles 242-261).

Foreign Direct Investment Statistics

There are no official statistics available on foreign direct investment (FDI). Banking sources estimated that construction and real estate account for the largest part of foreign investment. According to the 2006 Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation (IAIGC) annual report, Lebanon was the fourth largest recipient of Arab investment, out of nine surveyed Arab countries, down from third place in 2005, second in 2004 and first in 2003. Most of these investments occurred in the first half of 2006, prior to the July war. Investments in Lebanon reached $2.3 billion in 2006, up 31 percent from $1.7 billion in 2005. Arab investments in Lebanon were mainly channeled to the services sector, representing 42 percent of total investments in the country.

According to the 2007 UNCTAD World Investment Report, the flow of FDI into Lebanon totaled $2.79 billion in 2006, a slight increase from 2005. Lebanon was the tenth largest recipient of FDI among the 20 MENA countries in 2006. The FDI inflows to Lebanon accounted for 3.6 percent of total FDI inflows in the MENA region. The FDI outflows from Lebanon totaled $71 million in 2006, down by 42 percent from $122 million in 2005. The report placed Lebanon in the category of countries with low FDI potential but high FDI performance, thus among countries that showed “above potential” results in terms of attracting FDI. Foreign direct investment still constitutes a small part of capital inflows to Lebanon, with the lion’s share comprising remittances, repatriated capital, and placements in Treasury bills and Eurobonds.

French, Italian, German, British, Korean, and Finnish companies have won most of the government contracts in the fields of electricity, water, and telecommunications, and for the Sport City Center and Beirut International Airport (BIA) projects. This could be attributed to: (a) the travel ban which delayed the physical presence of U.S. nationals representing their companies in the Lebanese market to bid on projects until 1997, and (b) tied bilateral financial protocols, which provide grants and soft–term loans, signed between Lebanon and some European countries. U.S. companies won contracts in solid waste treatment and landfill, and some contracts in the power sector, air transport (radar equipment for BIA), and media (equipment for the national broadcaster Radio Lebanon).

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut tracks U.S. companies’ activities in the Lebanese market. The Embassy actively lobbies to support U.S. nationals bidding on projects, providing equal support to all U.S. bidders via letters and direct meetings with senior Lebanese government officials, and demanding fair consideration of U.S. companies that are bidding on business opportunities in Lebanon. In some cases, the Embassy and U.S. Department of Commerce have provided higher-level advocacy from Washington. The Embassy encourages U.S. companies bidding on projects to contact the Embassy’s Commercial Section for assistance and advocacy.

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