Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUDHABI1931
2006-05-10 11:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT IN THE UAE
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001931
SIPDIS
STATE FOR FOR NEA, EB & L
STATE PLS PASS TO USTR
COMMERCE FOR BIS/OAC
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KBCT ABLD PHUM AL AE PIRF
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT IN THE UAE
REF: A) STATE 66895
B) 05 ABU DHABI 4232
C) ABU DHABI 849
D) 04 ABU DHABI 3324
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001931
SIPDIS
STATE FOR FOR NEA, EB & L
STATE PLS PASS TO USTR
COMMERCE FOR BIS/OAC
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KBCT ABLD PHUM AL AE PIRF
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT IN THE UAE
REF: A) STATE 66895
B) 05 ABU DHABI 4232
C) ABU DHABI 849
D) 04 ABU DHABI 3324
1. (U) Summary. The UAE still implements the primary Arab
League boycott on Israel, but abides by the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) policy of not implementing the secondary or
tertiary aspects of the boycott. Despite this policy, there
have still been instances of prohibited boycott requests
affecting U.S. businesses each year. In many of these
cases, these prohibited requests appear to a result of
companies using old forms or a misunderstanding of the
difference between primary versus secondary boycott
language, rather than any deliberate policy to implement the
secondary or tertiary boycotts. The UAEG has committed to
eliminating these instances, and UAE Ministry of Economy has
proposed revised language for use in all government
contracts. End summary.
2. (SBU) Questions and answers below keyed to ref A:
a. QUESTION: Does the UAE require participation in or
cooperation with the Arab League Boycott?
ANSWER: The UAE does implement the primary boycott of
Israeli goods, but as a matter of policy, the UAE does not
implement the secondary and tertiary aspects of the boycott.
Senior UAEG officials have publicly and privately said that
they are not boycotting U.S. goods, and that they are
committed to eliminating prohibited secondary and tertiary
boycott requests (ref B).
b. QUESTION: Does the UAE as a matter of policy, practice or
contract request that U.S. firms comply with boycott
requirements or provide information regarding such
compliance?
ANSWER: As a matter of policy, the UAE does enforce the
primary boycott on Israel and insists that foreign firms not
sell it Israeli goods. However, there have been instances
where the UAE and the U.S. differed on interpretations of
what constitutes permissible boycott requests (i.e., the
UAEG viewed language as primary, and the U.S. viewed it as
secondary). The UAEG agreed to work with the Department of
Commerce to develop language that would comply with U.S. law
and would not have a negative impact on U.S. businesses.
The UAE has provided Commerce with proposed language and has
committed to having that language used in government
contracts. On May 9, MinEcon Under Secretary Abdullah al-
Saleh told econoff that he was awaiting an answer from USDOC
as to whether the UAE's proposed language complies with U.S.
anti-boycott regulations. He said that as soon as he
receives a response, MinEcon will provide the approved
language to all UAEG entities for use in future contracts.
There have also been instances where UAE contracts still
contain boycott related language (usually asking a company
to certify that it complies with the Arab League boycott).
In most instances, it appears that the prohibited language
is due to companies (even government-owned ones) using
outdated forms. The UAEG has made a commitment to address
this problem, and MinEcon has sent out instructions
reminding companies that the UAE does not implement the
secondary and tertiary aspects of the boycott.
c. QUESTION: Do suppliers, vendors, service suppliers, with
whom Embassy typically does business, comply with boycott
requirements?
ANSWER: Embassy is unaware of any suppliers or vendors that
comply with the secondary or tertiary aspects of the Arab
League boycott.
d. QUESTION: Do Boycott laws exist in UAE?
ANSWER: Yes. The UAE has a law requiring companies to
enforce the Arab League Primary Boycott on Israel. However,
during a March 5 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, MinEcon
Shiekha Lubna al-Qasimi said that the UAE would lift the
primary boycott of Israel if the UAE had an FTA with the
U.S.(ref C).
e. QUESTION: Does the UAE maintain an Arab League Boycott
Office?
ANSWER: Yes. It is part of the Ministry of Economy. Its
duties are to implement the primary boycott of Israel.
f. QUESTION: Does the UAE take steps to correct instances of
boycott enforcement?
ANSWER: Yes. According to the U.S. business community here,
they are generally able to have the language either removed
or modified so that it is not prohibited. American
businesses and American legal representatives have told us
they are largely able to resolve these issues. When the
U.S. Embassy has taken examples of prohibited language to
MinEcon, they have resolved the issue. In one instance in
2004, the UAEG removed an American company on the UAE's
primary boycott list after USG intervention (ref D).
SISON
SIPDIS
STATE FOR FOR NEA, EB & L
STATE PLS PASS TO USTR
COMMERCE FOR BIS/OAC
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KBCT ABLD PHUM AL AE PIRF
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT IN THE UAE
REF: A) STATE 66895
B) 05 ABU DHABI 4232
C) ABU DHABI 849
D) 04 ABU DHABI 3324
1. (U) Summary. The UAE still implements the primary Arab
League boycott on Israel, but abides by the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) policy of not implementing the secondary or
tertiary aspects of the boycott. Despite this policy, there
have still been instances of prohibited boycott requests
affecting U.S. businesses each year. In many of these
cases, these prohibited requests appear to a result of
companies using old forms or a misunderstanding of the
difference between primary versus secondary boycott
language, rather than any deliberate policy to implement the
secondary or tertiary boycotts. The UAEG has committed to
eliminating these instances, and UAE Ministry of Economy has
proposed revised language for use in all government
contracts. End summary.
2. (SBU) Questions and answers below keyed to ref A:
a. QUESTION: Does the UAE require participation in or
cooperation with the Arab League Boycott?
ANSWER: The UAE does implement the primary boycott of
Israeli goods, but as a matter of policy, the UAE does not
implement the secondary and tertiary aspects of the boycott.
Senior UAEG officials have publicly and privately said that
they are not boycotting U.S. goods, and that they are
committed to eliminating prohibited secondary and tertiary
boycott requests (ref B).
b. QUESTION: Does the UAE as a matter of policy, practice or
contract request that U.S. firms comply with boycott
requirements or provide information regarding such
compliance?
ANSWER: As a matter of policy, the UAE does enforce the
primary boycott on Israel and insists that foreign firms not
sell it Israeli goods. However, there have been instances
where the UAE and the U.S. differed on interpretations of
what constitutes permissible boycott requests (i.e., the
UAEG viewed language as primary, and the U.S. viewed it as
secondary). The UAEG agreed to work with the Department of
Commerce to develop language that would comply with U.S. law
and would not have a negative impact on U.S. businesses.
The UAE has provided Commerce with proposed language and has
committed to having that language used in government
contracts. On May 9, MinEcon Under Secretary Abdullah al-
Saleh told econoff that he was awaiting an answer from USDOC
as to whether the UAE's proposed language complies with U.S.
anti-boycott regulations. He said that as soon as he
receives a response, MinEcon will provide the approved
language to all UAEG entities for use in future contracts.
There have also been instances where UAE contracts still
contain boycott related language (usually asking a company
to certify that it complies with the Arab League boycott).
In most instances, it appears that the prohibited language
is due to companies (even government-owned ones) using
outdated forms. The UAEG has made a commitment to address
this problem, and MinEcon has sent out instructions
reminding companies that the UAE does not implement the
secondary and tertiary aspects of the boycott.
c. QUESTION: Do suppliers, vendors, service suppliers, with
whom Embassy typically does business, comply with boycott
requirements?
ANSWER: Embassy is unaware of any suppliers or vendors that
comply with the secondary or tertiary aspects of the Arab
League boycott.
d. QUESTION: Do Boycott laws exist in UAE?
ANSWER: Yes. The UAE has a law requiring companies to
enforce the Arab League Primary Boycott on Israel. However,
during a March 5 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, MinEcon
Shiekha Lubna al-Qasimi said that the UAE would lift the
primary boycott of Israel if the UAE had an FTA with the
U.S.(ref C).
e. QUESTION: Does the UAE maintain an Arab League Boycott
Office?
ANSWER: Yes. It is part of the Ministry of Economy. Its
duties are to implement the primary boycott of Israel.
f. QUESTION: Does the UAE take steps to correct instances of
boycott enforcement?
ANSWER: Yes. According to the U.S. business community here,
they are generally able to have the language either removed
or modified so that it is not prohibited. American
businesses and American legal representatives have told us
they are largely able to resolve these issues. When the
U.S. Embassy has taken examples of prohibited language to
MinEcon, they have resolved the issue. In one instance in
2004, the UAEG removed an American company on the UAE's
primary boycott list after USG intervention (ref D).
SISON