United States & Bahrain sign free trade agreement

The United States government has set a goal of working toward a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013. Since this announcement, the United States concluded Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Morocco and Bahrain, and signed Trade and Investement Framework Agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, and Oman. The US has TIFAs with Egypt, ALgeria, and Tunisia. The United States is negotiating free trade with Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Thailand, and five nations of the Southern African Customs Union - Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Namibia. The United States has been seeking comprehensive free trade agreements with the Middle Eastern Nations most firmly on the path to reform. The US and the Kingdom of Bahrain announced on May 21, 2003, their intention to see to negotiate a US- Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. In 2003, US exports totaled more than half a billion dollars. This new trade opening will expand more opportunity for exports of aircraft, machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical and agricultural products. "The 9/11 Commission urged the United States to expand trade with the Middle East and highlighted this FTA with Bahrain, as well as out recently passed FTA with Morocco as examples of positive steps in this direction, said Zoellick." The signing event happened in the Indian Treaty room in the Eisenhower Executive Office building, where the UN Charter and the treaty establishing the International Monetary Fund were signed. Hopefully, this open trade with the Middle East will open the doors of opportunity for everyone.

The article can be seen here.