June 29,2006

Grassley: Claim of Port Control via Oman Trade Pact is Inaccurate

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Reporters and Editors
Re: Inaccurate claim on U.S.-Oman free trade agreement
Da: Thursday, June 29, 2006

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over
international trade, today made the following comment on an inaccurate claim regarding the U.S.-
Oman free trade agreement.

“Some opponents of trade claim the U.S.-Oman free trade agreement will give foreign port
operators an absolute right to establish or acquire operations to run port facilities in the United
States. That’s just wrong. I want to make sure people know the truth. The truth is, nothing in the
agreement diminishes our right to determine, for ourselves, whether to block or unwind any foreign
investment in the United States to protect our national security. That includes any potential
investment in port operations in the United States. Anyone who says otherwise is ignoring the facts.
Oman is an important ally in the Middle East. We’ve concluded a very good trade agreement with
Oman, and it deserves the strong bipartisan support of the Congress. I expect that will be the case
when it’s time for a vote.”