Curtis brings victory to Oman Aluminium Rolling Company in the US trade case

The international law firm Curtis that represents clients globally from corporations and governmental entities to emerging entrepreneurs declared that its international trade practice brought a significant victory for the Govt. of Oman and local aluminium sheet and foil producer, Oman Aluminium Rolling Company (OARC), in a year-long probe by the US Department of Commerce into allegations that the sultanate unfairly capitalized OARC’s operations.

The critical issue in the US trade case was the accusation that the sultanate directed banks in Oman to dispense OARC with preferential lending.

Curtis stated in a statement: “Our international team, comprising lawyers in Muscat, Geneva, and Washington, successfully beat back the allegations. The result was a ‘negative’ finding on the banking issue by the US Commerce Department and only minimal duties for OARC, preserving its access to the US market.”

This is the second major victory in Oman for the global firm Curtis comprising allegations of unfair subsidies led by partner Matthew McCullough, who specialises in US countervailing duty law. However, in 2015, McCullough directed a sultanate defence representing both the government and a local PET resin producer to a complete victory in a similar US proceeding.

McCullough said: “Such cases allow a government to demonstrate internationally that its economy works on competitive, transparent, market-oriented terms. A successful result like this helps to preserve and attract inward investment and deters new cases by showing the allegations to be baseless.”

Simon Ward, Managing Partner for Curtis Muscat said: “This case also demonstrates Curtis’ ability to provide immediate legal support in Oman while drawing on our international team to deliver effective, practical, and efficient legal services in highly specialised areas of international and commercial law such as US countervailing duty law.”

The legal team of Curtis in the US aluminium products trade case was led by partners Matt McCullough (Geneva/Washington), Mehdi Mohamed al Lawati (Muscat), while it included associates James Beatty (Washington), Arthad Kurlekar (Geneva), Amrane Medjani (Geneva) and Reem al Mahrizi (Muscat).