Kuwait – U.S.

Executive Summary

What is this report about?
Sharing values on democratic traditions, the Kuwait-US relationship started from 1961 when Kuwait gained independence from British colonization. Kuwait, like its regional partners in Gulf cooperation council maintains a cordial relationship with the US in areas encompassing trade, investments and defense. The United States is Kuwait’s largest supplier of goods and services after China. Kuwait exports mineral fuel and oil related products to U.S. and imports motor vehicles and parts from the U.S. Commercial relations between the United States and Kuwait have expanded at a brisk pace, with trade volumes growing by more than 175 percent. In October 2016, U.S. and Kuwait agreed on a roadmap for deepening mutually beneficial partnerships taking the long-standing relationship between the two countries to the next level. With the gulf state attempting to diversify its revenue base, the US offers valuable insights on how to encourage the private sector as Kuwait look towards moving to a marketbased approach. This report analyzes the lessons on offer from US, and possibilities for potential tie-ups in areas of Kuwaiti interest.

Who will benefit and why?
The report will benefit anyone tracking the Kuwait-USA relationships in trade, investments and bilateral cooperation, such as regulators and government agencies, bankers, economists, academia and cross-border traders. This report would help these entities to gain an understanding of the relationship at present, and provide an outlook for the future.

How exhaustive is this report?
We have analyzed the trade and investment relationship between Kuwait and USA, and the various avenues, where bilateral relationship exists between the two countries. The report examines the factors that have led to USA’s growth as a major global economy, and the lessons that Kuwait can learn from them. We have also highlighted how Kuwait can strengthen its own economy by leveraging on the strengths of its trade partner, and finally, the sectors of US that should be of interest to Kuwait, both for potential tie-ups and investments.