Medical Equipment

• Trade and Tariffs
• Tariff Elimination

Trade and Tariffs

This sector is defined by the Uruguay Round sector agreement on medical equipment.

Medical equipment accounted for almost 2 percent of total U.S. industrial exports to Oman in 2003, totaling $7.3 million. Top U.S. exports to Oman in this sector are instruments, laboratory equipment, and endoscopes.

U.S. exports of medical equipment to Oman either enter duty free or are subject to a 5 percent duty. The average duty for this sector is 4.63 percent.

Oman did not export any medical equipment to the United States in 2003.

The United States is a signatory of the Uruguay Round sectoral agreement and as a result imposes zero duties on these products.

Non-Tariff Barriers

The U.S.-Oman FTA will eliminate all industrial tariffs in the United States and Oman within 10 years of implementation. Tariffs will be phased out according to three tariff elimination categories: 1) immediate elimination, 2) equal cuts over 5 years, and 3) equal cuts over 10 years.

Currently, 91 percent of U.S. medical equipment imports receive duty-free treatment. Upon implementation of the agreement, the remaining 9 percent of imports from Oman will receive immediate duty-free treatment.

Oman currently applies a 5 percent duty on 92.5 percent of medical equipment imports. Upon implementation of the agreement Oman will grant duty free access for 100 percent of medical equipment imports from the United States.

International Trade Administration
Manufacturing and Services
Office of Trade Policy Analysis