US and Bahrain Sign Free Trade Agreement

The United States and Bahrain signed the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Washington September 14, 2004 in a move that will drastically reduce trade barriers, expand economic opportunities and encourage reforms, according to a press release from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
The US-Bahrain FTA will eliminate tariffs on all consumer and industrial products and on 81 percent of US agricultural exports to Bahrain, whereas Bahrain will open its services market wider than any previous FTA partner, the press release said. The FTA will streamline digital trade, protect intellectual property, facilitate government procurement, and provide for effective enforcement of environmental and labor laws.
"The US-Bahrain FTA will enhance commercial relations with an economic leader in the Gulf, and set the stage for improving trade relations and expanding openness with other countries in the region, creating prosperity, opportunity, and hope," Robert B. Zoellick stated.
The agreement covers the most updated international standards for copyright, patent and trademark-related commitments to enhance intellectual property protection and enforcement and to deter counterfeiting and piracy.

It is built on the foundations established in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS Agreement) and other international agreements, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty, the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
The agreement was signed by the Bahraini Minister of Finance and National Economy, Abdullah Hassan Saif, and by the USTR Zoellick.