Arab nations keen to avoid impact of China-US trade row
Al Tayer discusses global economic challenges including Brexit, geopolitical instability
Dubai: The UAE is keen not on being affected by the trade tensions China faces with the United States, Obaid Al Tayer, the UAE’s Minister of State for Financial Affairs, stressed on Saturday.
Al Tayer said that Arab countries have close trade ties with China, especially in the field of energy as Chinese demand for oil grows, adding that the region does not want to be affected by China’s disputes with the US.
Speaking in Dubai at the Arab Fiscal Forum, the minister said that the past few months have seen signs of slowdown in global economic growth as well as higher volatility in financial markets and in oil prices.
He highlighted challenges such as a possible no-deal Brexit, trade tensions, tighter monetary policy, and geopolitical instability as factors that have contributed to economic uncertainty.
Protectionist policies
Al Tayer also warned against growing protectionist policies around the world, saying that they will put pressure on trade, ultimately hurting those countries adopting such policies.
In his speech, the minister called for developing legislation to facilitate the entry of global e-commerce platforms into the country to enhance competition and break up monopolies.