American and Israeli negotiators met here today for the second round of discussions aimed at the estab lishment of a U.S.-Israel Free Trade Area (FTA). The first round of talks was held in Washington last month.
Officials expressed optimism that an FTA could be set up within six months, despite opposition by some American trade unions. The FTA is one of the projects arising from the agreements in principle for U.S.-Israel military and economic cooperation which were reached when Premier Yitzhak Shamir met with President Reagan and other Administration officials in Washington last November.
Economists here believe Israeli high technology enterprises stand to gain once an FTA is established. But smaller Israeli companies dealing in consumer goods and electrical appliances may be wiped out in competition with American corporate giants such as General Motors and General Foods. This may force Israel to concentrate on the development of only those industries that can compete on the American market.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
