There are limited opportunities for U.S. exporters interested in the Turkmen market. The Turkmen government has a reputation for delaying payments, sometimes for years, of its contracts with international firms, including accruing debts of tens of millions of dollars. The government occasionally proposes barter deals as one of the payment solutions for international partners, or payment in manat at a disadvantageous rate to foreign companies.  However, opportunities exist in certain areas, particularly if selling in hard currency and with pre-payment or letters of credit from international financial institutions.  Below are the main sectors that historically have attracted foreign companies to Turkmenistan.