U.S. exporters can find substantial opportunities in Algeria if they have patience and effective Algerian agents or distributors to help translate these opportunities into sales. Given the time and resources necessary to successfully develop this market, Algeria is not an ideal export market for small to medium-sized enterprises. U.S. companies dominate Algeria's oil and gas sector. Algerian government officials have actively sought to encourage non-hydrocarbon U.S. investment but recent Algerian government measures have made the country's investment climate more restrictive. As a result, and because of unanticipated regulations, heavy bureaucracy, and comparatively few incentives, there have been a relatively limited number of U.S. investments in Algeria outside of the hydrocarbon sector. The privatization process has all but stopped due to both a general lack of interest among foreign investors and a lack of confidence among government leaders in past privatization and foreign-investment efforts. Bank privatization is on hold indefinitely. Slow economic reforms and an antiquated banking system have left non-hydrocarbon sectors mostly underdeveloped. Algeria has not joined the WTO, despite several years of negotiations. The United States enjoys a positive image in the Algerian market. U.S. goods and services are respected for high quality and U.S. companies are well regarded for their after-sales service. The country's agricultural production is far below demand, and Algeria continues to import large volumes of bulk agricultural products and packaged foodstuffs. European countries such as France, Italy, and Spain are traditional suppliers to Algeria in a wide range of sectors, and Chinese and Turkish firms enjoy a growing presence.